Overview

• Cologne residents began returning home after the Kampfmittelräumdienst defused the American five-centner bomb at 14:48, and most street closures have been lifted with water barriers set for removal next week.
• In Bochum, about 100 residents and guests from two hotels were evacuated within a 250 m radius of a 250 kg WWII bomb found near VfL Bochum’s training ground, affecting nearby park houses, a casino and the Starlight Express musical venue.
• Bomb disposal teams will launch the Bochum operation this evening, triggering the closure of the A40 at the Stadion/RuhrCongress exit and the opening of a shelter at the Hildegardisschule from 16:30 for displaced individuals.
• Specialized units from the Kampfmittelbeseitigungsdienst worked alongside police, fire services and the Ordnungsamt to conduct door-to-door evacuations, secure perimeters and coordinate transport and medical relocations.
• Germany uncovers thousands of unexploded WWII ordnance each year, prompting cities to maintain established evacuation protocols, transport suspensions and emergency shelters to safeguard civilians during routine construction work.