Cologne in shock: largest evacuation since the Second World War!

Cologne in shock: largest evacuation since the Second World War!

Today in Cologne: An evacuation that couldn't be bigger. Around 20,000 people had to leave their homes in the city center and in Deutz in the morning to enable the largest evacuation operation since the end of the Second World War. The background was the discovery of three unexploded bombs from the Second World War at the Deutz shipyard, which were discovered during exploratory work. The first bell rang at 8 a.m. and emergency services set about making the city safe. The radius around the bombs was set at 1000 meters, and the area was divided into different sectors, which were gradually declared "safe", like that Cologne Rundschau reported.

However, the evacuation took longer than originally planned. One person refused to leave the Old City, delaying clearance to defuse the bombs. There were many people with suitcases at the cathedral, including a graduating class from Baden-Württemberg who had to cut short their trip. The hustle and bustle was noticeable in the city center when the first S-Bahn arrived at the main station and security staff had to calm the situation. While most of the trains ran normally, there was no stop in Deutz.

Vital facilities and people at risk

The effects of the escalation could not be overlooked. 67 patients at Eduardus Hospital were transferred to other facilities, and two retirement homes also had to be evacuated. While the “Gulliver” aid station for homeless people was unable to open, around 150 people sought refuge in a contact point at the Cologne trade fair. The city also provided a citizens' telephone number 0221/221-0 or 115 to advise and inform citizens.

The three unexploded bombs put the emergency services under great pressure. Two of the bombs weighed 20 hundredweight each, the third weighed 10 hundredweight. All three were equipped with impact detonators, like daily news explained. This situation not only caused distress to local citizens, but also to companies like RTL Deutschland, whose employees had to work in mobile offices and live broadcasts were relocated to Berlin.

Defusing and returning to normality

It wasn't until 7:19 p.m. that the bombs were defused. The roads and bridges that were previously closed were gradually allowed to be reopened. After the bombs were defused, residents were finally able to return to their homes and traffic in the Cologne area also returned to normal. The city announced that all closed roads and bridges have been reopened and people are safe, as well Deutschlandfunk reported. In the meantime, shipping on the Rhine had been temporarily suspended.

But the effects of today's events will remain in the memories of the people of Cologne for a long time. The city has once again proven that it has a good hand in crisis situations. Great praise goes to the rescue workers and the city administration, who managed this mammoth task so professionally and quickly.