Overview
- A 250-kilogram World War II bomb uncovered on the Elbe near Heidenau and Pirna led to a roughly 1,000-meter evacuation that affected about 3,800 people and caused restrictions on S-Bahn regional services.
- Separate finds in northern Germany included a 500-kilogram bomb in Schönkirchen that forced a 1,000-meter evacuation of about 240 residents and a 250-kilogram device in Bremen found during track work that required a 500-meter evacuation; both were successfully defused.
- Police and the bomb-disposal service say low water in many rivers is exposing wartime ordnance that has been buried in silt, so more discoveries are likely if water levels stay low.
- Authorities warn people not to touch or move any suspected munition, to mark the spot and call the police emergency number 110 because long-submerged explosives can become unstable and may need on-site controlled detonation.
- Unexploded World War II ordnance is common in Germany and is usually handled by specialist teams that either remove fuzes by hand when safe or destroy devices in place, a process that can force temporary sheltering, road and rail diversions, and local disruption.