Thousands evacuate Cologne for WWII bomb defusal

Authorities evacuated large portions of the city center in Cologne, Germany on Wednesday, ordering about 20,000 people to clear the area for defusal of unexploded World War II bombs. Defusal operations happen frequently in Cologne, but the evacuation is the city’s largest since World War II, according to the city’s website.

The three bombs—a 100-pound bomb and two 200-pounders—were made in the United States, according to the Deutsche Welle news outlet. Construction workers discovered the weapons at the Deutz shipyard, according to the city’s website. The defusal attempt had not yet begun on Wednesday afternoon, local time, because the area wasn’t completely clear, Deutsche Welle reported.

Which sites are inside the evacuation zone? The entire old town of Cologne plus a convention center, arena, hospital, and two retirement homes are within a thousand yards of the bomb site, the city said. Cologne Cathedral isn’t inside the zone. 

Dig deeper: Read Anna Kezar’s Ukraine war update for details on a new aid package promised by Germany.