Dusseldorf Evacuates 13,000 Residents as WWII Bomb Unearthed Near City Zoo

Around 13,000 residents of Dusseldorf, Germany, were forced to evacuate after a World War II-era bomb was discovered near the city zoo, according to German news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW). The bomb, weighing 500 kg, was found on August 7 during a construction project, triggering a response from the police and bomb squad. Authorities ordered all residents within a 500-meter radius of the bomb to leave the area, and roads in the vicinity were temporarily closed.

Some residents were seen carrying their pets with them as they left their homes. It is unclear when the disposal operation was completed and restrictions lifted. Germany has a history of unexploded bombs from World War II being discovered on construction sites. In 2017, a 1.4-tonne bomb in Frankfurt led to the evacuation of 65,000 people. In December 2021, a World War II bomb exploded at a construction site near Munich station, injuring four people and disrupting rail traffic.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the US and British air forces dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Europe during the war, with half of that amount targeting Germany. This extensive bombardment left Germany with a considerable number of unexploded bombs still buried underground.