By Mesut Zeyrek
COLOGNE, Germany (AA) — Three unexploded World War II bombs found in the German city of Cologne were successfully defused by expert teams on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Cologne Metropolitan Municipality, over 20,000 people living in a one-square-kilometer area in Deutz were evacuated as a precaution during the operation to defuse the US-made bombs.
As part of the largest evacuation operation since World War II, bridges over the Rhine River were closed, train services were suspended, and 58 facilities—including homes, hotels, museums, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and care centers—were evacuated.
After the bombs were defused, the closed bridges and roads were reopened, and tram service resumed gradually.
There are still numerous unexploded World War II bombs in Germany, some of which are in residential areas.
Experts defuse these bombs in a controlled manner.