BERLIN -- Authorities in the western German city of Cologne on Wednesday have evacuated around 20,000 people for disposal of an unexploded war bomb.
The 1,000-kg American bomb from the Second World War was reportedly found Tuesday during work on an underground heating system in the city. Authorities issued Tuesday an evacuation statement.
Starting from Wednesday morning, Cologne has evaluated more than 20,000 people in the regions of Riehl and Muelheim. This is the biggest evacuation in the city since the end of Second World War.
Some schools in the area are closed. Bridges, streets, trains, boats have been blocked, cancelled or rerouted.
Local removal teams have begun to defuse the bomb, which is about five meters deep underground.
