Central Cologne evacuated after discovery of wartime bombs

4/6/2025 16:52

Thousands of people were being evacuated from central Cologne in western Germany on Wednesday following the discovery of three wartime bombs, in what the city authority called the largest such measure since the end of World War II.



An evacuation zone with a radius of 1,000 metres will be cleared from 8am, impacting around 20,500 residents as well as many workers and hotel guests in the city's historic old town and popular Deutz district, a statement from the authority said.



Three American bombs from World War II, each with impact fuses, were discovered during construction work on Monday in Deutz, a bustling area on the bank of the River Rhine.



A team of bomb disposal experts plans to disarm the ordnance later on Wednesday, the statement said.



Unexploded bombs are often found in Germany, which had many of its major cities bombed to ruins during the war, and such operations often go smoothly.

The evacuation area includes one hospital, two retirement homes and nine schools, as well as 58 hotels and many museums.