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Bomb found in Cologne: RTL presenter Burkard has to evacuate!
An aerial bomb from the Second World War was defused in Cologne-Rodenkirchen, affecting 670 residents, including RTL presenter Katja Burkard.
Bomb found in Cologne: RTL presenter Burkard has to evacuate!
In Cologne, the topic of finding bombs is more relevant than ever. On Wednesday, August 28th, an aircraft bomb from the Second World War was successfully defused in the Rodenkirchen district. But the calm only lasted for a short time, as a new bomb discovery in the Hahnwald district caused a stir on Thursday. Around 670 residents, including the well-known RTL presenter Katja Burkard, are affected by the evacuation, which will be necessary on Thursday in order to secure the danger zone around the bomb. “I only found out about the evacuation at work,” Burkard told the RTL morning magazine “Point 8”.
Katja Burkard, who will be in front of the camera for the RTL lunchtime magazine “Point 12” from 12 p.m., has already taken her daughters to friends and evacuated herself to the RTL studios. Her husband was not home at the time of the evacuation. Fortunately, the excitement among the neighbors seems to be manageable, as Burkard reports; there is no panic, but rather a relaxed wait for further information.
The bomb and its history
The bomb discovered is a five hundredweight bomb, a relic from World War II. The area around the site must be closed for the duration of defusing - a safety radius of 400 meters will be set up. Defusing is scheduled for Thursday after the evacuation is complete. The situation is a reminder of how often bombs from the Second World War are still found in Germany: around 5,000 a year, with North Rhine-Westphalia being particularly hard hit due to its history. Targeted attacks on industry in the Ruhr area were carried out here, which resulted in many unexploded bombs that are still waiting to be disposed of today.
What is particularly interesting is how such duds come about. These are often technical errors in the detonator or damage during impact that prevent bombs from detonating. Age usually has no influence on the danger: they are often three to seven meters deep, well “hidden” in the ground. In most cases, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service decides whether a bomb should be defused or detonated, and fortunately most are defused.
The current situation in Cologne shows that even decades after the war, the past is still present. It is another wake-up call, not only for the residents in Hahnwald, but for all of us, to be careful and on guard. Because when it comes to bombs, you should always have a good hand and be prepared. The ongoing disposal of war legacy remains a challenge that shows how deeply the traces of the Second World War are anchored in our society.
Ultimately, we can only hope that the evacuation goes smoothly and that defusing can be carried out successfully so that residents can return to their homes soon.
For further information on the bomb discoveries in Cologne, you can find the reports from [Giessener Allgemeine](https://www.giessener- Allgemeine.de/boulevard/betroffen-bombenfund-in-koeln-rtl-moderatorin-katja-burkard-von-evakuierung-zr-93905204.html) here. RTL and South German Newspaper.