250-kilo unexploded bomb in Dortmund: evacuation for residents scheduled!

250-kilo unexploded bomb in Dortmund: evacuation for residents scheduled!

In Dortmund, the city administration is facing another challenge: During construction work north of Rombergpark, a 250-kilogram unexploded bomb from the Second World War was discovered. This discovery not only stops construction work, but also requires extensive safety measures. How Tixio reported, the explosive ordnance disposal service of the Arnsberg district government will begin defusing on Wednesday, June 25th.

To defuse the fire, an evacuation radius of 300 meters will be set up around the site. Around 150 residents have to leave their homes from 11:30 a.m. This ensures the safety of the public while experts carry out their work. In addition, around 200 patients from the Johanniter Clinic will be moved to Westfalenhalle 3; This includes intensive care patients who require special care.

Traffic restrictions and public transport

The effects of defusing are far-reaching. The B54 between B1 and A45 will be completely closed and regional rail traffic will also be temporarily at a standstill. From around 1:30 p.m., the U49 will only run between the main train station and Westfalenpark, while bus lines 440 and 445 will have to be rerouted. The city of Dortmund provides information in a live ticker dortmund.de about the current status of the measures and asks road users to avoid the area as much as possible.

A look beyond the borders of Dortmund shows that this situation is not isolated. Just a few weeks earlier, Cologne was also affected by similar incidents. On June 4, around 20,500 people had to be evacuated from their homes when three bombs from World War II were found at the Deutzer Bridge. Here too, the historic town hall was affected by the security measures, and the care of hospitals and old people's homes was necessary to protect the population DW reported.

Protection and prevention

Dortmund's mayor has pointed out that the increase in bomb discoveries is due to increasing construction activity in metropolitan areas. In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, more than 1,600 bombs were defused in 2022. The city has therefore relied heavily on the preparedness of explosive ordnance disposal officers to ensure the safety of citizens not only in Dortmund, but also in other cities such as Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin.

Disposal techniques have also evolved, and in North Rhine-Westphalia, explosive ordnance disposal costs the budget an estimated 20 million euros annually. Despite these large expenditures, the sobering reality remains that there are still many unexploded bombs lying in the ground that could pose a threat at any time.

It remains to be seen how the defusing in Dortmund will proceed and what further measures will be necessary to ensure the safety of the population. However, the city remains in close contact with citizens and provides constant information about the current status of the situation.