Published 15:33 IST, September 3rd 2019
World War II bomb discovered in Hanover, Germany; thousands evacuated
An unexploded WW II bomb was discovered in Hanover, on Monday; 15,000 people were evacuated. No casualty reported as the bomb squad successfully defuse it
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After the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb on Monday, more than 15,000 people were evacuated from the Northern city of Hanover in Germany, as told by city officials to AFP. The city administration reported to media that a 250-kilogram device was found, following which, they asked the residents of Hanover from the state of Lower Saxony, to vacate their homes as a measure of precaution. Once the investigation is completed, the people are expected to return back to their residence. Notably, there are still thousands of unexploded bombs in Germany, that haven't been unearthed yet.
Hanover home to WWII bombs
The unearthing of unexploded World War II bombs in Hanover is a common occurrence, as the city was one of the prime locations targetted by the Allies when fighting intensified, and discovering bombs there is an ongoing process. It is home to some 500,000 people and this is not an isolated incident. A similar incident occurred in June when one such bomb had to be defused after it was discovered at Alexanderplatz square in Berlin. According to experts cited by a weekly publication, around one out of ten of the millions of bombs dropped over Germany during the World War did not go off.
Never-ending bomb discoveries
Based on media reports, in 1945, a massive British bomb weighing 1.4 tonnes was found in Frankfurt. Until 2017, it was one of the largest operations of evacuation, where some 65,000 people had to be temporarily relocated from their homes. Reports add that even after so many years, there is upwards of 2,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs hiding all around Germany. Before any development undertaking starts in Germany, regardless of the nature of the construction, whether it is home expansion or track laying by national railroad specialists, the ground must first be confirmed as "cleared of unexploded weapons". In spite of the fact that the nation has not witnessed direct war for many decades, the German bomb-defusing squads are touted to be among the busiest on the planet. Eleven bomb professionals have died in Germany since 2000, incorporating three who died in a solitary blast while attempting to defuse a 1,000-pound bomb on the site of a prominent market area in Göttingen in 2010.
(With inputs from PTI)
13:21 IST, September 3rd 2019