Cologne under pressure: mass evacuation after bomb find in the city center!

Cologne under pressure: mass evacuation after bomb find in the city center!

Köln, Deutschland - On June 4, 2025, three bombs from the Second World War were discovered in the Deutz district of Kölner. The defusing of these bombs, two American 20-centers bombs and a 10-hole bomb, was successfully completed the following Wednesday evening. The bombs had been found during the construction work in the southern city center of Cologne. The polishing had discovered a suspicious metal body under a chain vehicle, whereupon the ordnance disposal service was alerted.

The defusing of the bombs has been the largest evacuation campaign since the Second World War, in which around 20,500 people had to leave their houses. The evacuation was predominantly smooth, even if two people caused problems. One refused to leave the area while the other tried to cross a barrier and then custody. Around 240 employees of the regulatory office and 24 forces from Bonn were involved in the operational measures, while the fire brigade with 451 forces, many of them volunteers, was mobilized to support the evacuation.

extensive evacuation measures

The emergency services set up an evacuation area with a radius of one kilometer around the dangerous bombs, which affected the central parts of Deutz and a large part of the old town of Cologne. The affected facilities included the Eduardus Hospital, two old people's homes, 58 hotels, numerous restaurants and shops, as well as several schools and daycare centers. Events, including a concert by the WDR symphony orchestra, had to be canceled in Cologne city center. The wedding ceremonies were also laid.

The evacuation measures were carried out in several passages. The first round of the bell took place at 8 a.m., followed by another at 1:30 p.m. During the entire evacuation, 274 people at times stayed in the contact points in Deutz and 81 at the Perlengraben. The contact points were set up in the exhibition hall and in the Humboldtstraße vocational college. It was necessary for citizens to take important objects such as ID cards and medication; However, pets were not allowed in the interior areas of the contact points.

thanks to the Cologne

City director Andrea Blome thanked the Cologne for their solidarity and the respectful interaction during the evacuation measures. She emphasized the good cooperation between the various aid organizations and the regulatory office. After the bombs have been defused, the streets and bridges are gradually released again. The residents can either return or are brought home with a shuttle service and patient transports. Buses and trains should also drive again without restrictions.

The extraordinary security measures have affected rail traffic in the region, with delays and rental in long -distance transport. The Cologne traffic companies also announced restrictions on various light rail and bus lines and recommended that you avoid the city center.

Successful defusing illustrates the challenges that cities stand in view of the contaminated sites from the Second World War and emphasizes the importance of preparing and rapid reactionability of the authorities. Overall, Cologne can proudly look back on the recent measures and the work of the emergency services.

For further details about this incident, you can see the reporting of , Tagesschau and WDR .