Cologne in a state of emergency: 20,000 people have to be evacuated due to bombs!

Cologne in a state of emergency: 20,000 people have to be evacuated due to bombs!

In Cologne-Deutz there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the sense of security: three World War II bombs have been discovered and force the city into extensive evacuation measures. This Wednesday, June 4, 2025, around 20,000 people have to leave their apartments to get to safety. These are two 20-centers bombs and a 10-century bomb of American design, which are equipped with surcharges. The evacuation includes a danger area with a radius of 1,000 meters, regarding important cultural institutions such as the Museum Ludwig as well as the Lanxess Arena and the Philharmonie, reports RTL .

The city of Cologne ensures the smooth running of the evacuation in cooperation with the Düsseldorf district government's ordnance disposal service and the Cologne regulatory office. The intensive evacuation is called one of the largest in recent years. Important traffic routes are also affected by this measure, including several Rheinbrücken and the Messe/Deutz train station, which significantly impair mobility in the city.

RTL program changes

The RTL television station is also affected by the bomb finds and is forced to adapt its program at short notice. From Thursday, the news formats "Point 6", "Point 7", "Point 8" and "Point 12" from the capital city studio in Berlin will be broadcast. This is already the second program change in a row, which can be attributed to the bombing in Cologne-Deutz. All other programs are recorded in advance to ensure the security of the employees,

Like the rescue measures, the RTL program change that the city and its facilities are very popular, even in times of crisis. The RTL Germany employees in Cologne work as far as possible from the mobile office, while the daily program from N-TV is produced in Cologne-Ossendorf from 7 a.m.

evacuation and return of the residents

The evacuation begins in the early morning. Residents are asked to take important things such as ID cards, medication and baby food. However, animal lovers have left behind: pets must not be brought to the contact point. This is located in the gymnasium of the Humboldstraße vocational college, where some affected people have to spend the night, while other alternative accommodations are looking for. For people who are sick or disabled, an ambulance is provided, So wdr .

The evacuation itself will take a few hours, to this, spatial closures must be maintained until the bombs are defused and securely removed. Even if the residents have to temporarily leave their own four walls, it can already be seen that many of them will soon be able to return to their apartments after defusing and rescue. However, it remains exciting for the closures of the authorities to be completely canceled and the life in Cologne-Deutz returns to his usual passage.