Cologne Faces Largest Evacuation Since WWII as Unexploded Bombs Are Discovered
The German city of Cologne is facing its largest evacuation since World War II, with 20,500 residents displaced following the discovery of three massive unexploded bombs. The American bombs — two weighing 20 tons and another weighing 10 tons — were uncovered in a shipyard earlier this week, prompting city officials to seal off a significant danger zone.
In the wake of the bomb discovery, numerous facilities including a hospital, two retirement homes, and the city’s second-largest train station were evacuated. Landmark cultural sites, including the Musical Dome theater and the Philharmonic Hall, also fell within the evacuation perimeter, highlighting the wide-reaching impact of this emergency operation.
Cologne, a city with a history deeply scarred by Allied bombing during WWII, frequently encounters unexploded ordnance, but this represents an unprecedented evacuation effort since the end of the conflict. Authorities are optimistic that bomb disposal operations can be completed swiftly, with plans to finish by Wednesday, provided that residents comply with evacuation orders.
City officials have urged residents to remain calm and to prepare for their forced departure by seeking refuge with friends or family outside the sealed-off areas. They have emphasized the importance of leaving early and stressed that no reliable timeline can be given for the bomb disposal until the evacuation is complete.
In a stern warning, officials indicated that anyone refusing to evacuate may be forcibly removed by police. The city’s statement underscored the gravity of the situation, reminding residents that the threat posed by unexploded bombs is real and immediate.
Cologne’s tragic history includes 262 air raids carried out by Allied forces, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 20,000 residents and left much of the city in ruins. The aftermath saw a massive reconstruction effort that restored the Old Town and many significant landmarks.
While such large-scale evacuations are rare, smaller evacuations occur periodically. Just last year, for instance, around 10,000 residents had to evacuate their homes in October after another bomb was found, and in December, 3,000 people were asked to leave due to a similar discovery.
As Cologne's residents brace for this extraordinary evacuation, the community's enduring spirit is again tested, reminding all of the long shadows cast by history.
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