Germany Evacuates 30,000 Over WWII Bomb

German authorities evacuated roughly 30,000 people in Pforzheim today as ordnance disposal teams worked to defuse a 1.8-ton bomb from World War II. The unexploded bomb surfaced during construction work in the city, located in southwestern Germany, prompting a large-scale operation involving emergency services from across the country.

Police conducted door-to-door checks, encountering some delays evacuating residents from care facilities. They ultimately used drones to confirm the area was clear before proceeding with the defusal. In Bitburg, closer to Luxembourg, teams also dismantled seven American-made bombs, requiring the evacuation of about 200 residents.

Experts noted the Pforzheim bomb’s three detonators presented an unusual challenge. Unexploded ordnance continues to be discovered in Germany, and similar evacuations occurred recently in cities like Dresden, Cologne, and even Paris. The work to locate and neutralize these remnants of the war continues.