- Another successful defence of blind walkers in Cologne
In Cologne, a day after the evacuation due to the discovery of an unexploded bomb, another World War II bomb was successfully defused. The British 500kg bomb, found during construction work in the Lindenthal district on Tuesday evening, was rendered safe on Wednesday evening, the city announced.
4,000 residents had to leave the danger zone
A particular challenge this time was the evacuation of St. Elisabeth Hospital, one of the city's most well-known clinics. More than 100 patients, including 40 who were lying down, had to be transported. Additionally, around 4,000 residents were affected by the evacuation of the danger zone, 18 of whom required ambulance transport. After the bomb was defused, the barriers were to be lifted step by step, allowing people to return to their homes.
World War II bombs found in Cologne
Just the day before, an unexploded bomb was defused in Cologne's Rodenkirchen district. According to the city, around 6,000 people had to leave the danger zone, including residents of retirement homes and patients from two day clinics.
Unexploded bomb discoveries in Cologne are not uncommon and are often met with relative indifference by residents. Many remnants from World War II still lie underground. About half of the air attacks on Nazi Germany were concentrated in today's North Rhine-Westphalia due to the then overwhelming industrial importance of the Ruhr area and the geographical proximity of West German cities to England.
The effects of War were once again evident in Cologne, as another World War II bomb required defusing, displacing 4,000 residents and necessitating the evacuation of St. Elisabeth Hospital.
Despite frequent effects of War from World War II bombs, such as the one defused in Rodenkirchen, many Cologne residents show relative indifference.
