World War II Bomb Discovery Triggers Evacuations in Central Berlin
Thousands were evacuated from central Berlin early Friday following the discovery of a World War II bomb in the River Spree, reports 24brussels. Police later confirmed the device posed no danger and had been safely removed, allowing residents to return home.
A police spokesperson informed the local publication Tagesspiegel that the explosive was deemed non-hazardous. “People can return to their homes,” the spokesperson stated.
Authorities initiated the evacuation late Thursday after the bomb was uncovered during routine work near Fischerinsel, a central district of the city. Evacuees were asked to leave a 500-meter radius around the site.
By 5 a.m., police reported that “several thousand residents” had been evacuated, with more than 800 individuals accommodated overnight in emergency shelters at Berlin’s town hall in the central district. Initially, police divers and bomb disposal teams prepared for a controlled detonation, but this action was deemed unnecessary once the device was secured.
The discovery of unexploded ordnance from World War II remains a frequent occurrence in Germany. These events can lead to mass evacuations, sometimes involving tens of thousands of people, until specialists verify that the area is safe for reentry.
