- Firefighters defuse two World War II bombs in Hamburg
The Bomb Disposal Unit of the Fire Department defused two aerial bombs in Hamburg on Wednesday. The Fire Department announced this. Initially, a bomb was discovered on a company site in the harbor in the morning. The operation in Waltershof resulted in significant traffic restrictions.
During the defusal, the A7 motorway and the Elbtunnel had to be completely closed. The A7 was temporarily impassable between the junctions Othmarschen and Waltershof, leading to kilometer-long traffic jams in both directions. Motorists were advised to avoid Hamburg and the A7. The Fire Department also contacted two ships due to the operation. The Köhlbrand Bridge remained open to traffic. Residents were reportedly not affected.
The second bomb was discovered by a specialist company on a company site in the Harburg district. The company alerted the Bomb Disposal Unit around 12:45 PM. According to the police, there were no restrictions for the public. The cordon and warning radius were on the company site. A fire department spokesperson said there were no issues during the defusal.
The two aerial bombs were of British origin and date back to World War II. The bombs weighed 500 pounds (approximately 227 kilograms) and had an impact fuse.
The two aerial bombs discovered during the incidents were remnants from World War II. Despite their age, the 500-pound British bombs still carried the potential danger of an impact fuse.
