A WWII bomb found by firefighters taking part in a diving exercise in a river in Frankfurt, Germany, was safely detonated Sunday.
The 250-kilogram (550-pound) bomb was discovered in Frankfurt’s Main River, a tributary of the Rhine, on Friday. Around 600 residents were evacuated as bomb disposal experts detonated the bomb early Sunday.
Please note: A WW2 bomb in the Main is to be defused tomorrow, Sunday, 14th! Around the area (see interactive map https://t.co/wI5M5cndf4) both river Banks will be locked until the operation is completed. For latest information follow @Polizei_Ffm and @feuerwehrffm! Please share. pic.twitter.com/K1jOXjIorE
— Frankfurt am Main (@Stadt_FFM) April 13, 2019
Some 600 people were evacuated from parts of the city as bomb disposal experts got to work at about 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Sunday.
The bomb was discovered near the Alte Brucke, or old bridge, Friday by firefighters during an exercise in the Main River.
Before the bomb was exploded, the divers moved the device deeper into the Main river, to a depth of around 6 metres.
The detonation process consisted of several explosions as there were several, small detonations used to scare fish from the area prior to the main, large explosion that defused the bomb and sent a large spout of water into the air, police said.
Following confirmation of the bomb’s detonation, Frankfurt Mayor Peter Feldmann thanked all the emergency crews and those who were evacuated from their homes “for their cooperation and patience,” he said in a tweet.
It is not wholly uncommon for unexploded artillery used during the second world war to be discovered throughout Europe, and in 2017, Frankfurt police defused a bomb that required some 60,000 people to be evacuated.
