The largest evacuation in Cologne’s modern history is underway after three unexploded bombs were found.
The discovery of two 1,000 kg and one 500 kg American bombs has forced more than 20,000 people to leave the city centre from 8am local time (7am in the UK).
Authorities have enforced an 1,000 metre exclusion zone in the heart of the city, closing nine schools and 58 hotels and forcing elderly people to leave care homes.
Cologne will be empty for hours as the area’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service look to defuse or safely detonate the explosives.
The bombs were found near to Deutzer Bridge on Monday, with residents instructed to leave the area from 8am local time this morning.
It is not yet known when residents will be allowed to return, but authorities hope the bombs can be defused by Wednesday evening.
Volunteers and police officers will be going door-to-door in the city to check that everyone has left the area, with police saying they have the authority to use force to kick people out of the area if necessary.
Local transport has been thrown into chaos as three bridges were closed and the rail and bus networks ground to a halt.
Schools, kindergartens, care homes, hotels and museums in the exclusion zone have been forced to shut.
Sports halls and churches outside of the city centre have been turned into support centres for those forced to leave their homes, offering food and refreshments.
Around 1,500,000 bombs were dropped on Cologne during the Second World War, with experts estimating 20 per cent of those not fully detonating.
In 2024 alone, 31 ‘dud’ bombs were discovered, requiring 17 evacuations.
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