Central Cologne evacuated after discovery of World War 2 bombs

Thousands of people were being evacuated from central Cologne in western Germany on Wednesday after the discovery of three wartime bombs, in what the city authority called the largest such measure since the end of World War 2.

An evacuation zone with a radius of 1km will be cleared from 8am 6am GMT), affecting about 20,500 residents as well as many workers and hotel guests in the city's historic old town and popular Deutz district, the authority said.

Three American bombs from World War 2, each with impact fuses, were discovered during construction work on Monday in Deutz, a bustling area on the bank of the River Rhine.

A team of bomb disposal experts plan to disarm the ordnance later on Wednesday.

Unexploded bombs are often found in Germany, which had many of its major cities bombed to ruins during the war, and such operations often go smoothly.

The evacuation area includes one hospital, two retirement homes and nine schools, as well as 58 hotels and many museums.

“Everyone involved hopes the defusing can be completed on Wednesday. This is only possible if those affected leave their homes or workplaces early and stay outside the evacuation area from the outset,” the city authority said, appealing to residents to follow instructions.

The measures caused major disruptions to transport in and out of the city of more than a million people, with Germany's national rail operator warning many trains would be diverted or possibly cancelled.

Reuters