Five thousand people evacuated in Hamburg for WWII bomb disposal
Around 5,000 people had to leave their homes in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel on Monday night for the defusing of a World War II bomb, with consequences stretching into Tuesday morning.
After a long delay, a World War II bomb discovered in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel was defused early Tuesday morning.
According to the fire department, approximately 5,000 people living within a 300-metre radius of the bomb site had to evacuate their homes. German TV chef Tim Mälzer's restaurant, "Bullerei," was also evacuated, as he announced on Instagram.
The airspace above the site was closed, and several S-Bahn services were suspended. An emergency shelter was set up at the St. Pauli Vocational School on Budapester Straße.
Though the police announced on Twitter that the evacuation in the affected area was completed by around 10 pm on Monday evening, the process of defusing the bomb was delayed due to the difficult position of the bomb. According to the ordnance disposal service, the bomb was stuck in the ground upside down and specific tools were needed to remove it.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How many WWII bombs are still being found in Germany?
Around 3:45 am, the second attempt at defusing finally began with the warning, "There may be a loud bang."
Only after a second partial explosion did the police announce that the 500-pound bomb had been defused, tweeting "The bomb has been defused. The measures will now be gradually reduced. We wish you a good night!"
Die zweite Teilsprengung war erfolgreich. Die Bombe ist entschärft.
Die Maßnahmen werden nun sukzessive zurückgefahren.
Wir wünschen eine gute Nacht!#HH1707
— Polizei Hamburg (@PolizeiHamburg) July 18, 2023
The British aerial bomb was found nearby the S-Bahn station Sternschanze during construction work, near an underpass through which the tracks of the S-Bahn and long-distance trains run.
The so-called danger radius was 500 metres and safety precautions were observed in this area, with residents advised to avoid windows and seek shelter in rooms facing away from the location.
This was the second unexploded bomb found in Hamburg in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, another British aerial bomb was discovered during exploratory work in Wilhelmsburg. Last week, another WWII bomb was also defused in the Marzahn district of Berlin.
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After a long delay, a World War II bomb discovered in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel was defused early Tuesday morning.
According to the fire department, approximately 5,000 people living within a 300-metre radius of the bomb site had to evacuate their homes. German TV chef Tim Mälzer's restaurant, "Bullerei," was also evacuated, as he announced on Instagram.
The airspace above the site was closed, and several S-Bahn services were suspended. An emergency shelter was set up at the St. Pauli Vocational School on Budapester Straße.
Though the police announced on Twitter that the evacuation in the affected area was completed by around 10 pm on Monday evening, the process of defusing the bomb was delayed due to the difficult position of the bomb. According to the ordnance disposal service, the bomb was stuck in the ground upside down and specific tools were needed to remove it.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How many WWII bombs are still being found in Germany?
Around 3:45 am, the second attempt at defusing finally began with the warning, "There may be a loud bang."
Only after a second partial explosion did the police announce that the 500-pound bomb had been defused, tweeting "The bomb has been defused. The measures will now be gradually reduced. We wish you a good night!"
Die zweite Teilsprengung war erfolgreich. Die Bombe ist entschärft.
— Polizei Hamburg (@PolizeiHamburg) July 18, 2023
Die Maßnahmen werden nun sukzessive zurückgefahren.
Wir wünschen eine gute Nacht!#HH1707
The British aerial bomb was found nearby the S-Bahn station Sternschanze during construction work, near an underpass through which the tracks of the S-Bahn and long-distance trains run.
The so-called danger radius was 500 metres and safety precautions were observed in this area, with residents advised to avoid windows and seek shelter in rooms facing away from the location.
This was the second unexploded bomb found in Hamburg in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, another British aerial bomb was discovered during exploratory work in Wilhelmsburg. Last week, another WWII bomb was also defused in the Marzahn district of Berlin.
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