Hamburg: Several thousand residents and visitors in Hamburg’s Sternschanze district, known for its vibrant nightlife, were evacuated after a World War II-era bomb was discovered on the grounds of a primary school during construction work.
According to Emirates News Agency, the evacuation affected more than 5,000 people within a 300-meter radius around the bomb site. Local authorities, including fire officials and police, coordinated the evacuation, extending to clearing out numerous restaurants and bars in the area to ensure public safety. The operation led to significant disruptions, including the closure of the nearby Sternschanze S-Bahn station, which is a critical hub for weekend rail traffic.
The defusing of the bomb, handled by bomb disposal experts, was completed in about 30 minutes and occurred without any complications shortly after midnight local time (2200 GMT Saturday). The fire department confirmed the successful neutralization of the bomb via social media, marking the end of a major operation
that drew widespread attention.
This incident underscores Germany’s ongoing challenges with unexploded ordnances from WWII, remnants of extensive Allied and Soviet bombing campaigns. Such discoveries are relatively common, but most are safely neutralized by skilled disposal teams.