Emmanuel Thomas, DPA, Friday, May 12, 2023
BERLIN – A 100-kilogram bomb from World War II was found in the parking lot of a large supermarket chain in southern Berlin on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of the area so the bomb could be detonated.
This is not the first time that a WWII bomb is being discovered in Germany. Streets in Heidelberg’s Bahnstadt district were closed in December 2022 after the discovery of a 250-kilogram aerial WWII bomb.
“Be prepared for a long night outside of your home and look for an alternative place to sleep,” the Berlin police tweeted in the early hours of Friday.
Police said the air raid bomber had to first be completely extracted from its location and then partially cleaned using a high pressure water machine.
Authorities cordoned off an area of 500 metres around the bomb and evacuated the zone. The German Red Cross stepped in to provide shelter to people in need of care.
Train travel on the Berlin SBahn was disrupted in the region on Thursday evening due to the find, according to a SBahn tweet.
Normally the train authority would provide bus services to cover the disrupted train traffic, but it said this was not possible due to the size and location of the evacuated area.
It is not clear when the bomb will be completely defused, the authorities said.