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Huge drama in Stuttgart: 6,000 people evacuated because of World War II bomb!
A WWII bomb was discovered in Stuttgart. 6,000 people have to be evacuated for safety. Defusing follows.
Huge drama in Stuttgart: 6,000 people evacuated because of World War II bomb!
An unexploded World War II bomb was discovered today during excavation work in the Birkenäcker district of Stuttgart. This bomb, which weighs around 500 kilograms, requires immediate measures to defuse it, which is why extensive evacuation measures were initiated. Around 6,000 people from the area, which also includes residential areas as well as commercial and recreational areas, are affected. The evacuation began on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until defusing is completed, which will begin immediately afterwards. All information about this can be found on the Stuttgart Fire Department's website, which also links to its social media channels.
Emergency accommodation was set up for the evacuated people in the sports hall of the Carl Benz School, Weckherlinstrasse 8. The people there are looked after by the German Red Cross. The Robert Bosch Hospital is also available to intervene in the event of medical emergencies. To support the process, a hotline for citizen inquiries was set up at the Office of Public Order (tel. (0711) 216-91911 and (0711) 216−91925). Löwentorstrasse remains closed in the critical area and is only accessible for emergency services and for evacuation. The U12 light rail line will continue to operate until the evacuation is complete.
Evacuation operation in Cologne
Fortunately, the defusing of the bombs, including two 20 quintal bombs and one 10 quintal bomb, went largely smoothly and was completed faster than planned. This was done at 7:19 p.m. Of course, there were some challenges there too: one resident refused to evacuate, which delayed the process. Events such as a concert by the WDR Symphony Orchestra had to be canceled or postponed, and the Hohenzollern Bridge, the busiest railway bridge in Germany, was also affected.
Look at the backgrounds
Between 1,500 and 2,000 bombs from the Second World War are discovered in Cologne every year, around 200 of which are large caliber bombs. The city was one of the most heavily bombed metropolises during the war. Defusing such bombs requires strict security measures, including closing airspace and establishing extensive security zones. Not only residents are affected, but also numerous facilities such as schools, retirement and nursing homes as well as several large companies.
It remains to be hoped that the situation in Stuttgart can be brought under control just as quickly and safely. Ultimately, the safety of the people in these areas is a top priority.
For further information on current developments in Stuttgart, visit the city or fire department's website at Tixio and Stuttgart.de. You can also find reports about the situation in Cologne here ZDF.