Three aerial bombs discovered in Cologne-Deutz: 20,000 residents in danger!

Three aerial bombs discovered in Cologne-Deutz: 20,000 residents in danger!

The Cologne city administration is facing a huge challenge. On Monday, June 2, 2025, a total of three aerial bombs were discovered during exploratory work in the Cologne-Deutz district. These include two US 20-can bombs and a British ten-can bomb - all equipped with impact detonators, which makes the situation even more explosive. The Nonstopnews reports that the defusing of the bombs is planned for Wednesday and that a danger area with a radius of 1000 meters has been set.

Fortunately, around 20,000 residents are affected by the evacuation measures. The evacuation of two nursing and retirement homes will also be necessary. The affected locations include prominent points such as the Deutzer Bahnhof, the Lanxess Arena and three important Rhine bridges: the Severinsbrücke, the Deutzer Brücke and the Hohenzollernbrücke. This means extensive closures that will impact traffic for an extended period of time.

Evacuations and return of residents

The WDR reports that around 5,000 residents in Cologne city center have already had to leave their homes at night. But after the defusing took place on Tuesday morning, residents were allowed to return to their houses and apartments on Tuesday. Buses and trains are running again without restrictions. A shuttle service brings those affected back, while those who are sick or have mobility problems are brought home by ambulance.

The evacuation was a labor-intensive task. The Cologne fire brigade supported the public order office in the evacuation of the residential areas, which lasted over a period of six hours. The only point of contact for those affected was the gymnasium at the Humboldstrasse vocational college. It was important for residents to take ID, medication, baby food and other urgently needed items with them. However, the pets had to stay outside, which caused problems for some concerned residents.

Background on explosive ordnance disposal

As Wikipedia explains, explosive ordnance disposal includes not only the defusing of munitions remnants, but also a comprehensive risk analysis and historical exploration. In Germany, various services are responsible for this, with tasks ranging from identification and recovery to the safe disposal of explosive ordnance. Especially in urban areas, such as Cologne, this process is of utmost importance to ensure public safety.

Defusing bombs from the Second World War is part of a larger strategy to secure urban areas. This procedure has developed significantly since the post-war years and is now carried out professionally and quickly. For the people of Cologne, such operational measures are a familiar, if never entirely unproblematic, reality.

The city administration points out that the road closures will remain in place until the defused bombs have been completely recovered and removed. The temporary uncertainty is keeping residents busy and creating a lot of conversation on the streets of Cologne. Despite the challenges, authorities are working to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible.