Cologne under pressure: 20,000 evacuees due to bomb defusal!

Cologne under pressure: 20,000 evacuees due to bomb defusal!

Comprehensive evacuation measures will take place in Cologne on Wednesday, June 4th, which will affect around 20,000 people. The reason for this is the discovery of three World War II bombs during construction work for a district heating pipeline in the Riehl district. The defusing of these bombs discovered on Monday not only affects private households, but also numerous public facilities and the transport infrastructure. According to the information from nw.de, the people of Cologne have to be prepared for restrictions and complete closures.

The bombastic relics from World War II include two 20-pound American bombs and one 10-pound bomb. These are equipped with impact detonators to increase the danger. Historically, Cologne was particularly hard hit by bombing, and as early as 1942 the city experienced the first “thousand bomber attack” by the British Royal Air Force. The echo of this time still resonates today and can be seen in the current security measures.

Extent of evacuation

The evacuation will cover an extensive area. The affected facilities include, among others:

• Museum Ludwig
• Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
• Fernsehsender RTL, der seine Live-Sendungen nach Berlin verlagert
• 58 Hotels und Beherbergungsbetriebe
• Der Kölner Zoo, der für die Dauer der Evakuierung schließen muss
• Der Musical Dome und die Philharmonie
• Neun Schulen und viele Kitas
• Das Kölner Rathaus und dessen Ableger auf der Deutzer Seite
• Drei Brücken über den Rhein, darunter die Hohenzollernbrücke
• Ein Krankenhaus sowie zwei Pflege- und Altenheime, die gezielt Evakuierungen für die Bewohner planen

Traffic restrictions and preparations

The city of Cologne has already published information about the expected closures and cancellations in local public transport. The first ringing of the bell will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and roadblocks will be set up. Train stations, shipping and, in some cases, air traffic are temporarily suspended. Many employees, including those at RTL Deutschland, have to vacate their offices and, where possible, work from the mobile office. This could become a serious challenge for the hotels and restaurants affected.

With regard to the affected old people's and nursing homes, around 600 residents in severe need of care must be transferred to hospitals, while a further 300 are to be accommodated in prepared exhibition halls. The city's largest senior citizen and disabled center is directly affected - a situation that requires a lot of sensitivity.

Preparations are in full swing and the city administration is doing its best to make the information as transparent as possible for everyone affected. There is definitely no time dungeon here, because safety is the top priority. It remains to be hoped that over the next few days the defusing of the bombs will go smoothly and that everyone involved will be sufficiently informed.

For further information, those interested can read the reports from nw.de, WDR or Mirror consult.