Rudesheim - Experts carefully defuse World War II bomb
The munitions disposal service Hessen, according to the police, controlled and safely detonated a bomb from World War II at Rudesheim. On Monday, the experts were not able to defuse the second fuse of the 125 kilogramme (275 lb) mine located below Jagdschloss Niederwald over the Rhine. In initial police reports, there was talk of a weight of 150 kilogrammes (330 lb).
The B42 federal highway, Rhine shipping, the right-bank railway, the Niederwald cable car from Assmannshausen, and the airspace were temporarily closed for safety reasons, according to Fire Chief Michael Ehresmann. A safety radius of 1,000 meters surrounded the bomb.
Two to three hikers were discovered in the nearby rocky forest area by a police helicopter. "They were led out and happy about it," said Ehresmann. This led to a delay of approximately ten minutes.
20 tonnes of sand and 20,000 litres of water
To dampen the pressure of the explosion, the bomb was covered with 20 tonnes of sand and 20,000 litres of water in a large rigid bladder. "That worked. The bomb no longer exists," added the Fire Chief.
The mine was discovered during routine clearance work. According to Ehresmann, the Allies also planned to bomb the train stations in Rudesheim and the opposite Bingen during the Second World War.
The police helicopter was instrumental in locating hikers in the nearby forest, ensuring their safe evacuation. The bomb, initially believed to weigh 150 kilogrammes, was actually a 125 kilogramme device found during World War II clearance work nearby the Rhine in Rudesheim. The consequences of such war remnants can still impact the region, as evidenced by this incident, with the local Hessian police and disposal service handling the situation diligently.
