Evacuation in Cologne-Lindenthal: 7,500 residents affected by bomb discovery!

Evacuation in Cologne-Lindenthal: 7,500 residents affected by bomb discovery!

An evacuation operation is underway in Cologne-Lindenthal, which will affect around 7,500 residents. For exactly this reason, an American five hundredweight bomb from the Second World War will be defused on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The bomb, which has a rear impact detonator, was discovered on Saturday near the University Hospital. Preparations for defusing have been underway since Saturday in close cooperation with the Rhineland Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service and the Cologne University Hospital. The city of Cologne has adapted well to the situation to ensure the safety of citizens and therefore large containers are being set up to protect surrounding buildings in an emergency, as ksta.de reports.

The evacuation is expected to begin on Thursday morning around 9 a.m. with a bell tour of the public order office. Anyone affected by the evacuation should think in good time about where they can stay during this time. It is particularly important to take personal items such as medication, important documents and baby food with you. Pets are not allowed to be brought to the contact point, which will be set up in the Theodor-Heuss-Realschule (Euskirchener Straße 50) and also opens from 9 a.m.

Preparations and road closures

The danger radius is 400 meters around the location where the bomb was found. Therefore, starting Tuesday, parking bans will be introduced in the evacuation area; This has already been in effect since Monday in the areas where the containers are set up. Extensive road closures in the area around the university clinic are expected on Thursday and traffic will be rerouted over a large area. Affected streets include Josef-Stelzmann-Straße, Zülpicher Straße and Auerbachplatz. Local public transport will not remain unaffected either, as the KVB is trying to maintain line 9 for as long as possible, although stops in the evacuation area will not be served.

Those responsible are particularly concerned about people with limited mobility or health problems. They should wait for the public order office to visit, as transport to the contact point or hospital will be organized. The current information on the developments and regulations surrounding the defusing of the bomb is provided on the homepage of the city of Cologne as well as via local media such as Radio Köln and WDR, as can also be found at stadt-koeln.de.

Background on explosive ordnance disposal

Why is such caution necessary? In Germany, people have been dealing with explosive ordnance disposal for decades. This includes the disposal of ordnance that still comes from past military conflicts. These measures are an important task for ensuring public safety, which is regulated by special legislation in each federal state. Explosive ordnance disposal is not only carried out through defusing, but often also requires complex historical investigations and risk assessments, as is beautifully explained on Wikipedia.

Defusing a fake bomb is complex and can take longer depending on how the evacuation goes. It is therefore important that everyone affected is well prepared and follows the instructions of the authorities. During this critical time, neighbors are called upon to support each other, and social media can also be used to get information quickly and efficiently.