In Dresden, 17,000 People Evacuated Following Discovery of World War II-era Bomb

Approximately 17,000 residents of the German city of Dresden will be forced to leave their homes following the discovery of an unexploded bomb from World War II. Such an extensive evacuation for this reason has never before occurred in the city’s history, reports RIA Novosti, citing the local newspaper Sächsische Zeitung (SZ).

Earlier on Tuesday, construction workers uncovered a British 250-kilogram aerial bomb during excavation work near the collapsed Carolabrücke Bridge in Dresden. Specialists plan to render it safe on Wednesday.

"The disarmament will affect around 17,000 people. As of today, this is the largest evacuation in relation to the discovery of a wartime bomb," the report states.

The evacuation zone includes the city administration, police headquarters, several museums, kindergartens, and nursing homes, according to the article.

In September 2024, a large section of the Dresden Carolabrücke Bridge, which features a pedestrian zone and tram tracks, collapsed into the Elbe River. One of the potential causes of the collapse was corrosion of the supporting structures. Following this incident, authorities decided to completely demolish the bridge, but those plans have yet to be carried out.