Three unexploded WW2 bombs found in shipyard lead to 20,000 people being evacuated
Twenty thousand people in a German city have been ordered to evacuate after three unexploded Second World War bombs were found in a shipyard.
The operation to defuse the bombs in Cologne is said to be one of the largest conducted there, although there have been similar incidents in the past.
The ordnances, two 200lb bombs and a 100lb one made in the United States, were uncovered in the Deutz area of the city.
"The evacuation is the largest such measure since the end of World War 2," a statement from the city said.
"Everyone involved hopes that the defusal can be completed in the course of Wednesday."
The discovery of the bombs meant that significant areas of the city, like Cologne's old town, more than 50 hotels, three bridges, the Deutz railway station, and the town hall, had to be evacuated.
Medical facilities have also been affected, as a hospital and two care homes have been evacuated.
Residents would be made to leave their homes, "if necessary by force", accompanied by the police, the authorities said.
If the residents fail to comply with the order, they could be handed a hefty fine, according to the BBC.
The residents in Germany's fourth-largest city were told to get out of their homes following door-to-door visits by officials, and shops were ordered to close.
The historic munitions have caused travel disruptions to the city as roads and the main railway station have been closed.
Two shelters have been created for stranded people if they have nowhere to go for safety, and the city's inhabitants were advised to carry ID, any required medication, and to look after their pets.
The allies bombed Cologne during the Second World War and, as a result, people find unexploded bombs in Germany regularly.
The Royal Air Force targeted the city in a bombing raid in 1942 because it was home to industry which powered Nazi Germany.
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