Duisburg: An aerial bomb successfully defused – 1,400 people safe!

Duisburg: An aerial bomb successfully defused – 1,400 people safe!

After the security situation in Germany's cities has proven to be quite challenging in recent days, defusing World War II bombs remains a topic of great importance. On Wednesday evening, September 24, 2025, a British aerial bomb from the Second World War was discovered in Duisburg and was finally successfully defused at 10:30 p.m. This 500-kilogram bomb posed a complex challenge because it was equipped with an impact detonator, such as radioduisburg.de reported.

The location was during construction work on the “Am Unkelstein” street, where the bomb was discovered at midday the previous day. Around 1,400 residents, including residents of several residential areas and a retirement home, had to be evacuated. This operation lasted until around 6 p.m., which ultimately resulted in defusing being delayed by more than two hours. The additional time lost was due to the patient transport from the retirement home. The A40 motorway was also closed during the operation, as the local news portal continues.

Evacuation hits Dusiburger and the surrounding area

The explosive ordnance disposal service had sealed off a security radius of 600 meters around the site. The residents were only able to return to their homes after the fire had been successfully defused. The all-clear was communicated with a siren in the district and via the NINA warning app. After the defusing, the roadblocks and the closure of the A40 were immediately lifted.

Similar situations have also taken place in other cities in recent weeks. On September 19th, for example, a 100 kilogram bomb had to be defused in Berlin-Spandau, which required around 12,400 people to leave their homes. In this case too, the action was delayed due to people still in the restricted area tagesschau.de notes. Compared to Duisburg, this was an even more extensive evacuation, where emergency accommodation was even provided. In addition, another bomb was found on Fischerinsel in Berlin-Mitte and was classified as harmless, so fewer people were affected.

Defusing bombs in Cologne was a major challenge

The largest bomb disposal operation since the Second World War was recently successfully completed in Cologne. Here, more than 20,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes after hours of closures. At the end of the operation, the city gave the all-clear so that residents could return to their homes step by step. Historical bombs were also found in the Deutz district of Cologne, including two bombs weighing 2,000 kg and one bomb weighing 1,000 kg. The exclusion zone around the site extended over a radius of 1,000 meters, which had a massive impact on traffic in the region zeit.de highlights.

The various operations illustrate how important reliable coordination is in defusing such old threats. While other cities and regions also have to deal with the defusing of World War II bombs on average, Duisburg and its citizens will remember this recent experience well. It shows that in crisis situations, a good hand and quick action are essential.