DRESDEN, Germany — Authorities evacuated about 18,000 people from central Dresden after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered near the Carola Bridge reconstruction site, in what emergency services described as the city’s largest operation of its kind to date.
Bomb disposal specialists prepared to defuse the 250-kilogram British bomb, which was uncovered during work to rebuild the Elbe River crossing that partially collapsed in September 2024. The find triggered a security cordon with a 1-kilometer radius, sweeping in homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices across the eastern German city’s center.
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More than 400 police officers were deployed, backed by a helicopter and a drone, to ensure the evacuation zone was cleared, officials said. Trains, trams and road traffic were also restricted around the perimeter during the operation.
Police spokesman Marko Laske told public broadcaster MDR that the bomb’s damaged detonator meant a water jet cutter had to be used, a method that would “naturally delay” the disarming process. If that approach failed, bomb technicians would consider a controlled detonation on site, he said.
The device was found during clearance and construction work linked to the repair of the Carola Bridge. The location has yielded unexploded ordnance before: World War II bombs were discovered and safely defused there in January and August 2025, forcing the evacuation of thousands each time.
Dresden’s past loomed heavily over the response. The city was heavily bombed by Allied forces on Feb. 13–14, 1945, an air assault that killed up to 25,000 people and devastated much of the old town, famed for its Baroque architecture. Decades later, such wartime remnants still surface during construction and urban renewal.
Officials urged patience from residents and businesses as the daylong effort unfolded, noting that the use of specialized cutting equipment, step-by-step safety checks and weather factors could extend the timeline. Emergency services did not immediately report injuries.
Authorities said they would lift restrictions and allow residents to return once the bomb is rendered safe or disposed of, and structural inspections are complete within the security zone.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
