Unexploded bombs in the Lokviertel: evacuation of 11,000 Osnabrück residents!

Unexploded bombs in the Lokviertel: evacuation of 11,000 Osnabrück residents!

Yesterday evening, June 17, 2025, there was a significant operation in Osnabrück's Lokviertel when an unexploded bomb from the Second World War was discovered. Around 11,000 people from around 6,500 households were forced to leave the area to ensure the safety of everyone affected. The evacuation, which began at 5:12 p.m. in the city center, Fledder and Schinkel districts, led to road closures that were set up at 7 p.m., as oskurier.de reports.

An evacuation center was opened at 7 p.m. in the Schinkel comprehensive school (Windthorststrasse 79-83). Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Osnabrück train station was in the restricted area, while the hospitals remained untouched. Experts from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service were on site and took over the task of defusing the unexploded bomb that was found during construction work in the Lokviertel, an area with a high bomb load.

Special challenges during evacuation

The evacuation operation was accompanied by problems as some people were in the evacuation area without authorization, which led to delays in checking the security situation. Drones and a police helicopter were deployed to control the area from 10:16 p.m. Security was confirmed shortly after 10:30 p.m., and defusing began at 10:37 p.m., reported [informiert.osnabrueck.de](https://informiert.osnabrueck.de/de/aktuelles/fuenf-entschaerfungen-zwei- Sprengungen-blindgaenger-unschaedlich-machen/).

The dud weighed 500 kilograms and was equipped with both a front impact detonator and a rear long-term detonator. At 11:05 p.m. both detonators were removed. The defusing was finally successfully completed shortly before midnight. Such operations are not uncommon for many residents in Osnabrück. Every year, around 5,000 bombs from the Second World War are found in Germany, a significant proportion of which are discovered in North Rhine-Westphalia, as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.

Danger of unexploded bombs

The legacy of the war is still present in many cities. Unexploded bombs can be caused by technical errors in the detonator or other factors, and the city of Osnabrück has a high number of defusals due to intensive construction activities. It is estimated that there are still many undetected explosive devices in the ground. This illustrates how important it is for citizens to cooperate with the relevant authorities during such operations.

The city of Osnabrück urgently appealed to the public to follow the instructions of the emergency services. The next day, rail traffic returned to normal at 12:01 a.m. after the area was opened. Such operations require not only the expertise of experts, but also the cooperative behavior of local residents to ensure rapid and safe action.