By Blessing Nweke
Authorities in the German city of Dresden are evacuating around 18,000 people after the discovery of a large unexploded British World War Two flying bomb in the city centre. The 250kg (551lb) device was found near the former Carola Bridge, which collapsed into the Elbe River in 2024.
Emergency officials say the evacuation, scheduled for Wednesday morning, is the largest in the city’s history related to a wartime bomb disposal operation. Residents, tourists and commuters in a large section of the historic old town have been ordered to leave the area while specialists work to defuse the device.
The evacuation zone includes several of Dresden’s most famous landmarks, such as the iconic Frauenkirche Lutheran church, the Dresden Residenzschloss palace and the renowned Semperoper Dresden opera house. Government buildings, including the police headquarters and Saxony State Parliament, along with retirement homes, daycare centres and other social institutions, also fall within the restricted zone.
Dresden’s fire brigade said authorities will cordon off the area by 09:00 local time (08:00 GMT). Emergency accommodation is being provided at the Dresden Exhibition Centre from 07:00, with additional buses and trams operating to transport displaced residents.
Officials have not yet said how long the bomb disposal operation may take.
Dresden was heavily bombed during Bombing of Dresden beginning on 13 February 1945, when British and American forces dropped nearly 4,000 tons of explosives on the city. The resulting firestorm killed around 25,000 people and devastated much of the historic centre, once known as the “Jewel Box” for its Baroque and Rococo architecture.
The attack remains one of the most controversial episodes of World War II. British tenor Stephen Chaundy, currently working at the Semper Opera, said rehearsals were cancelled for the day, reflecting that “the past casts a long shadow.”
Original article
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