Authorities in the southwestern German city of Heidelberg have begun evacuating hundreds of people in preparation for the removal and defusing of a World War II bomb found during construction work near the town’s main train station.
«During construction work in Bahnstadt, a World War II bomb was found in the area of Europa Square and Max Jarecki Street,» the local police said in a statement on its website. It said officers are «blocking the area, causing traffic delays and detours».
«Bomb squad services are on their way to the site to make decisions on next steps,» it said, adding that «affected residents are being contacted by the Police and Fire Department, while some of the adjacent facilities have already been evacuated.»
According to information gathered by the German news agency DPA, the bomb squad has established a 50-meter safety zone around the bomb, which weighs 250 kilograms. Since the end of World War II, numerous unexploded bombs have been found in the country, although they are usually dismantled without major incident.
