WWII bombs found in European city force massive evacuation operation
More than 20,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes on Wednesday in Germany after three World War II-era aerial bombs were discovered. The operation would take the bomb squad hours to complete their task.
The three bombs were found during exploratory work in the German city of Cologne on Monday, resulting in what officials called the largest evacuation of the city since the end of World War II, the Associated Press reported.
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According to a news release by city officials, two American 20-hundredweight bombs and one American 10-hundredweight bomb with impact fuses needed to be defused.
This operation prompted the evacuation of 20,500 residents from their homes in order to prepare for the operation.
The Düsseldorf district government's explosive ordnance disposal service was activated to defuse the three 80-year-old bombs.
The evacuation also shut down numerous businesses, including the Eduardus Hospital, two retirement homes, the Cologne Messe/Deutz train station, schools and more.
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3 Ambulances drive to the Eduardus Hospital in Cologne-Deutz to evacuate the hospital before specialists defuse three unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II that were unearthed earlier this week in Cologne, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
AP
3 Two of the three unexploded World War II bombs are defused and prepared to be loaded onto vehicles for removal, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Cologne, Germany.
AP
Roadways were shut down and shipping lanes along the Rhine River were suspended.
Just after 7 p.m. local time, city officials posted on Facebook that the job was completed.
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'The three World War II bombs in Deutz have been defused. At 7:19 p.m., the three unexploded bombs that had paralyzed large parts of the city were defused,' the post read. 'The closed streets and bridges are now gradually being reopened, and residents can return to their homes or are being brought back by ambulance or shuttle buses.'
3 Employees from the public order office cordon off access to the Rhine promenade after three unexploded bombs from the Second World War were found at the Deutzer Werft in Cologne, Germany, 04 May 2025.
CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
According to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Cologne was a frequent target for Allied air raids, with the first of 262 happening on a May 17, 1940, Royal Air Force bombing mission.
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During that time, 770,000 residents evacuated the city, leaving about 20,000 behind.
The final bombardment was on March 2, 1945. American tanks entered the city a few days later.
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