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First Post
a day ago
- General
- First Post
WWII bombs force mass evacuation in Cologne, Germany
Cologne was subject to particularly heavy bombings during World War II, with unexploded artillery still posing a threat to the city. The bombs had been found during building work on Monday in the Deutz area on the east bank of the River Rhine read more World War II-made bombs were defused in the German city of Cologne, prompting the evacuation of over 2,000 people. The operation is being dubbed the biggest bomb defusing exercise since the end of the war. Authorities evacuated an area of around 10,000 sq m on Wednesday after the discovery of three American-made explosives in a shipyard in Deutz. Cologne was subject to particularly heavy bombings during World War II, with unexploded artillery still posing a threat to the city. The bombs had been found during building work on Monday in the Deutz area on the east bank of the River Rhine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2017, authorities uncovered a 1.4-tonne bomb in Frankfurt, leading to the evacuation of 65,000 people, the biggest such evacuation in Europe since 1945. In 2021 four people were injured when a World War II bomb exploded at a building site near Munich's main railway station, scattering debris over hundreds of metres. Roads, schools, and hospitals shut Road and train lines were closed throughout the day, and city officials went door to door, sending about 20,500 people out of their homes and closing 58 hotels as well as numerous restaurants and businesses. The city's typically busy streets were hauntingly empty as shops, restaurants, and businesses were ordered to cease operations during the day. Cultural institutions, including the Philharmonic Hall and several museums, were also impacted, along with government buildings, 58 hotels, and nine schools. Transportation faced major disruptions, with all roads in the area closed, many train services cancelled, and the Messe/Deutz train station shut down from 08:00 local time. With inputs from agencies
News18
2 days ago
- General
- News18
This German City Is Evacuating 20,000 People To Defuse Massive World War II Bombs
Last Updated: The American-made bombs prompted emergency officials to seal off a 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) radius in the heart of the city. In one of the largest postwar evacuations in its history, the city of Cologne in Germany is relocating over 20,000 people after three massive unexploded bombs from World War II were discovered in a shipyard. The American-made bombs prompted emergency officials to seal off a 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) radius in the heart of the city, affecting parts of both the Old Town and Deutz. Following this, authorities are conducting 'the largest operation since the end of World War II" under which businesses, hotels, schools and even hospitals have been ordered to evacuate. 'Will Escort You Out' Authorities have said that refusal to comply could result in forced removal and heavy fines. 'If you refuse, we will escort you from your home — if necessary by force — along with the police," officials warned as per BBC. The evacuation has caused widespread disruption as 58 hotels, nine schools, major government buildings and cultural landmarks like the Philharmonic Hall and several museums were closed while road closures and train cancellations paralyzed transport in the area, it was reported. advetisement The bomb disposal squad is expected to defuse the explosives on Wednesday but the delicate work can only begin once the entire evacuation zone is cleared, authorities said warning residents. Bomb Discoveries In Germany Bomb discoveries aren't rare in Germany where remnants of Allied air raids still turn up during construction. This time the size of the devices and the densely populated area affected has raised alarm. About the Author Mallika Soni Location : Germany First Published: June 04, 2025, 23:34 IST
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cologne evacuates 20,000 people after three World War II bombs discovered
The German city of Cologne is moving 20,500 people in its largest evacuation since World War II, after officials discovered three massive, unexploded bombs. The American bombs – two 20-ton weapons and another that weighs 10 tons – were found in a shipyard on Monday, the city said, causing a huge 'danger zone' to be sealed off on Wednesday morning. A hospital, two retirement centers and the city's second largest train station were among the facilities emptied out. Schools, churches, museums and two of the city's cultural landmarks – the Musical Dome theater and the Philharmonic Hall – also fell within the evacuation zone. The discovery of unexploded weapons is a frequent phenomenon in Cologne, which was decimated by Allied bombing during World War II, but no operation of this size has been carried out since the end of the war, the city said. 'Everyone involved hopes that the defusing can be completed by Wednesday,' city authorities said in a statement. 'This will only be possible if all those affected leave their homes or workplaces early and stay outside the evacuation area from the outset.' The city told residents to 'stay calm (and) prepare yourselves' for the evacuation, recommending they visit friends or family and avoid workplaces in the sealed-off area. Officials said they 'cannot make any reliable predictions' about how long the operation will take, adding that specialists cannot begin to defuse the bombs until the entire area has been evacuated. 'If you refuse, we will escort you from your home – if necessary by force – along with the police,' the city's statement said. Allied nations conducted 262 air raids of Cologne during World War II, killing approximately 20,000 residents and leaving the city in ruins. Nearly all of the buildings in the Old Town were destroyed, as were 91 of the city's 150 churches. A massive reconstruction effort took place after the war, with the Old Town rebuilt and major landmarks restored. But small evacuations still take place on a regular basis when unexploded ordnances are found. Around 10,000 residents had to leave their homes in October when another American bomb was found, and in December, 3,000 people were asked to evacuate. CNN's Stephanie Halasz contributed reporting
Euronews
2 days ago
- General
- Euronews
Around 20,000 evacuated in Cologne after unexploded WWII bombs found
More than 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the German city of Cologne on Wednesday as experts try to defuse three unexploded US bombs from World War II. Authorities on Wednesday morning started evacuating about 20,500 residents, as well as workers and hotel guests, from a central area within a 1,000-metre radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre. Disposing of such bombs sometimes entails large-scale precautionary evacuations such as the one on Wednesday, although the city described this as "the largest operation since the end of World War II". Those evacuated were directed to shelter points in exhibition halls and college buildings, while office workers in the affected area were advised to leave their offices before 8 am or to avoid the area altogether. The city said residents who refused to leave their homes could face hefty fines. "If you refuse, we will escort you from your home — if necessary by force — along with the police," the authorities said. Cologne's central station is shut during the defusal work while shipping on the Rhine is also suspended. The city's famous UNESCO-listed cathedral and its Philharmonic Hall are among the sites temporarily closed to the public until the end of the day, when the bomb defusal is expected to be completed. The city said it planned to deploy bomb disposal technicians to defuse the bombs on site before transporting them to secure ammunition containers for dismantling and disposal. Experts believe that approximately 1.3 million tonnes of explosives were dropped on German cities during World War II. The number of bombs that failed to detonate remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 5% to 20%. Similar discoveries have triggered other evacuations over the years. In 2024, 1,606 bombs were discovered and rendered harmless in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. "Every bomb that we find and neutralise is a service to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren," North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul said in April at a conference presenting the state's latest annual statistics on unexploded devices. During the second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, Ukraine handed over to Russia a list of its forcefully deported children. Kyiv wants Moscow to return them to Ukraine, reiterating its commitment to bring the forcefully deported children back as one of the key aspects of a possible ceasefire and a peace deal in the long term. The head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov said, 'If Russia is genuinely committed to a peace process, the return of at least half the children on this list is positive'. The Russian delegation chief Vladimir Medinsky showed the list, which contains the names of 339 abducted Ukrainian children. The Kremlin representative accused Ukraine of "staging a show on the topic of lost children aimed at kind-hearted Europeans." In his words, Kyiv is trying to "squeeze out a tear by raising this issue." According to Medinsky, each name on the list will be 'worked out'. 'Whether there are children with similar surnames and first names somewhere in our institutions, further applications from parents or legal relatives should be attached to this,' he added. "It's not that they are in our facilities. It means that (the whereabouts) of these children is unknown. Maybe (they are) in Ukraine, maybe somewhere else, maybe in Norway,' Medinsky said. Euronews sources familiar with this aspect of the negotiations say Moscow knows exactly where every child on that list is. Kyiv and Moscow have never raised the issue of Ukrainian children forcefully deported by Russia in a direct format. Ukraine has been able to verify Russia's deportation of over 19,500 children to date. These are the children for whom detailed information has been collected — their place of residence in Ukraine and their territorial location in Russia are known. Only 1,350 have been returned, and each return is mediated by a third-party state, notably by Qatar, South Africa and the Vatican. The Russian delegation was therefore surprised, as it didn't expect to get the list of names from Kyiv during the direct talks in Istanbul on Monday. Euronews sources familiar with the matter said Moscow said it was ready to return 10 children, but that Kyiv has a "different position and expectations" when it comes to "demonstrating good faith in proceeding with the peace process". When asked why Kyiv didn't present a more extensive list, given that 339 names are less than 2% of the total number of forcefully taken children, Euronews sources explained it was a decision based on previous experience. 'There is a risk that Moscow would try to buy time claiming it takes longer to check the names, while trying to change the identities of Ukrainian children further, making it impossible to track,' the source said. Russia is deliberately erasing the identity of the illegally deported children, according to Ukraine's deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa. The names and IDs are being changed, especially when it comes to younger kids, who have been forced into adoption in Russia. The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) stated that stealing the children was one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's priorities, referring to the revelations of Ukrainian human rights activists. The ISW uncovered Kremlin documents dated 18 February 2022, which laid out plans to remove Ukrainian children from orphanages in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions and bring them to Russia under the guise of 'humanitarian evacuations'. Euronews sources familiar with this aspect of negotiations said that Kyiv's list also contains the names of the children who have not yet been moved to Russia and remain on the temporarily occupied territories. 'These are not only children who have been physically moved to the territory of Russia, but also those who are now trapped under Russian occupation and control while remaining on Ukrainian territories, temporarily occupied by Russia,' they said. When Ukraine and Russia met in Istanbul for the first time on 16 May, they agreed on the prisoners of war exchange, which took place within 10 days after the talks. Another POW swap was agreed upon at the second round of talks on Monday, when Ukraine passed on the list of the deported children to Russia. Kyiv now hopes Moscow will return the abducted kids as soon as possible, without further delays. Without much progress on the military side of the negotiations, this is an opportunity for Moscow to demonstrate its "goodwill" on the humanitarian aspect. "If they want to show it, they will find the way to demonstrate their good faith without further delays and prove it quickly," Euronews sources said, reiterating that Moscow knows where these children are. Russia also can do it with the mediation of Qatar, South Africa or the Vatican, the countries which have assisted Kyiv in the past with the return of the Ukrainian children. In its "peace memorandum" proposal, Moscow has not toned down any of its maximalist demands regarding battlefield and territorial concessions, and still demands that Ukraine cede its territories, including those it has never controlled. With pressure from the US and new, tougher sanctions looming, Moscow must decide whether to proceed on the humanitarian track with Kyiv, given that this is the only aspect of the direct talks that has yielded tangible results since the negotiations resumed. The next, third round of negotiations is expected to take place at the end of June.
CNN
2 days ago
- General
- CNN
Cologne evacuates 20,000 people after three World War II bombs discovered
The German city of Cologne is moving 20,500 people in its largest evacuation since World War II, after officials discovered three massive, unexploded bombs. The American bombs – two 20-ton weapons and another that weighs 10 tons – were found in a shipyard on Monday, the city said, causing a huge 'danger zone' to be sealed off on Wednesday morning. A hospital, two retirement centers and the city's second largest train station were among the facilities emptied out. Schools, churches, museums and two of the city's cultural landmarks – the Musical Dome theater and the Philharmonic Hall – also fell within the evacuation zone. The discovery of unexploded weapons is a frequent phenomenon in Cologne, which was decimated by Allied bombing during World War II, but no operation of this size has been carried out since the end of the war, the city said. 'Everyone involved hopes that the defusing can be completed by Wednesday,' city authorities said in a statement. 'This will only be possible if all those affected leave their homes or workplaces early and stay outside the evacuation area from the outset.' The city told residents to 'stay calm (and) prepare yourselves' for the evacuation, recommending they visit friends or family and avoid workplaces in the sealed-off area. Officials said they 'cannot make any reliable predictions' about how long the operation will take, adding that specialists cannot begin to defuse the bombs until the entire area has been evacuated. 'If you refuse, we will escort you from your home – if necessary by force – along with the police,' the city's statement said. Allied nations conducted 262 air raids of Cologne during World War II, killing approximately 20,000 residents and leaving the city in ruins. Nearly all of the buildings in the Old Town were destroyed, as were 91 of the city's 150 churches. A massive reconstruction effort took place after the war, with the Old Town rebuilt and major landmarks restored. But small evacuations still take place on a regular basis when unexploded ordnances are found. Around 10,000 residents had to leave their homes in October when another American bomb was found, and in December, 3,000 people were asked to evacuate.
