Unexploded WWII bomb prompts largest evacuation in Cologne, Germany since 1945

Authorities in the German city of Cologne evacuated three hospitals and thousands of homes following the discovery of an unexploded bomb from World War II during construction work on a new medical campus.

US bomb found with front and rear detonators

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The bomb, weighing 1,000kg and originating from the United States, has both front and rear impact detonators. Experts wereset to defuse it on Friday (Oct 11). Evacuation plans were in place for around six months, as there were concerns that unexploded ordnance might be found at the site during excavation.

A 500-metre exclusion zone has been set up around the bomb’s location. City officials have indicated that there may be up to eight more unexploded bombs in the area, but further excavations are needed to confirm this.

Largest evacuation in Cologne since 1945 mobilises thousands

This evacuation, which involved around 1,300 personnel including police, firefighters, emergency workers, city staff, and 800 volunteers, was described by authorities as the largest such operation since 1945. Volunteers visited homes to ensure residents were safely evacuated.

Hospitals cleared, thousands relocated to safety

Two hospitals were cleared on Thursday (Oct 10), while a third was evacuated on Friday morning, along with about 10,000 residents, according to a city spokesperson. Traffic and public transport were also rerouted away from the area.

Patients were transferred to other hospitals in more than 300 ambulances, or moved to temporary shelters, while residents found refuge in schools just outside the evacuation zone, which were closed for the day.

Specialised ICU facility prepared for critical patients

Authorities also mentioned that a “safe house,” equipped with intensive care units, was specially upgraded to accommodate between 50 to 70 ICU patients, for whom relocating to another hospital would have been too risky. This included individuals in a coma and burn victims, who were taken in after the bomb was found.

Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities during the Second World War. Evacuations due to the discovery of bombs are a regular occurrence in Germany’s larger cities, including Berlin, where similar situations happen frequently.

(With inputs from agencies)