More than 17,000 people have been evacuated from central Dresden after a 500lb British-made World War II bomb was unearthed during construction works on the Carola Bridge.

The unexploded ordnance, discovered early Tuesday morning, triggered a major emergency response, with 330 police officers and specialist bomb disposal teams sealing off an exclusion zone stretching half a mile around the site.

Emergency Evacuation Underway

Details

Residents and businesses within the exclusion zone were ordered to leave their premises from 6am, with emergency shelters set up across the city. Photographs from the scene show long queues of evacuees waiting for shuttle buses, many carrying packed suitcases.

In addition to residential evacuations, Dresden’s state parliament and opera house have been closed, while traffic diversions have been implemented across the city.

Bomb Disposal Operation Begins

Police confirmed that the 250-kilogram (550lb) bomb, equipped with a detonator, must be defused on site. Work to defuse the device is set to begin as soon as the exclusion zone is fully cleared.

“As soon as there are no more people in the area, the defusing work can begin,” Dresden Police stated in an update. “We urge everyone to follow the instructions of emergency officers.”

The bomb is believed to have been dropped during Allied air raids in World War II, a grim reminder of Dresden’s heavily bombed past. Discoveries of unexploded bombs remain relatively common in German cities even 80 years after the war.

Large-Scale Emergency Response

The operation has involved a combined force of firefighters, paramedics, and police, with dozens of shuttle buses deployed to assist residents. The police also issued a plea for motorists to avoid the area to reduce congestion around emergency routes.

Public Safety First

The Dresden authorities emphasised that while the operation is significant in scale, the risk to public safety is being managed professionally. Bomb disposal experts are experienced in safely neutralising such devices.

A City on Pause

Tourists and locals alike described surreal scenes of empty streets and closed landmarks. One resident, queued at an emergency shelter, said: “It feels like the city has gone back in time, with everyone waiting for the all-clear.”

Context: Germany’s Wartime Legacy

Germany continues to deal with the legacy of WWII, with thousands of unexploded bombs still buried beneath its cities. Large-scale evacuations for bomb disposal have become a familiar drill, though this is Dresden’s largest in recent years.