Bomb from the Second World War forces 4,350 Erkelenzer to evacuate!

Bomb from the Second World War forces 4,350 Erkelenzer to evacuate!

In the city center of Erkelenz, a bomb from the Second World War was discovered on Friday morning when construction workers came across the explosive relic during construction work on Kölner Strasse. Around 4,350 people immediately had to leave their apartments and houses. Originally, the evacuation should be completed by 6 p.m., but the auxiliary measures were delayed significantly, which was due to the number of people restricted mobility that unexpectedly needed more support. Ultimately, the residents were only able to return to their apartments at 10:41 p.m. after the bomb was defused. www.aachener-zeitung.de

The bomb, an American construction with two cunles, was a considerable danger. A detonator could still be defused in the evening, while the other was badly damaged and could not be made harmless. Therefore, the bomb was removed from the city and will later be blown up in a blocked area. The radius of evacuation was 400 meters, which meant that several old people were also affected. The city mobilized support from various fire brigades and aid organizations to safely accommodate the people concerned and to carry out the evacuation smoothly.