Dresden city center cleared to defuse unexploded WWII bomb

Officials in Dresden evacuate 18,000 people after the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb, the largest such operation yet in the eastern German city, emergency services say.

A bomb squad was set to try to defuse the 250-kilogram (550-pound) British bomb, which was found during work in the city center to rebuild an Elbe river bridge that collapsed in 2024.

The exclusion zone had been fully established by 9 a.m. (10 a.m. Israel time), said police in the Saxony state capital.

More than 400 police along with other emergency services are deployed, backed up by a helicopter and a drone, to check that homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices are empty inside a one-kilometer radius of the device.

The bomb was discovered yesterday during clearance and construction work following the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge bridge in September 2024.

The evacuation affected major historic sites including the city’s Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche church, as well as residential buildings, hotels and government offices.

Because the bomb’s detonator is damaged, a water jet cutter has to be used, which will “naturally delay” the operation, police spokesman Marko Laske tells public broadcaster MDR.

If that doesn’t work, bomb squad experts will have to consider detonating the bomb on site, he adds.

Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies on February 13 and 14, 1945, killing up to 25,000 people and destroying large parts of the old town known for its Baroque architecture.

World War II bombs were previously found and defused at the site in January and August 2025, with thousands of people affected each time.