Cologne has begun evacuating more than 20,000 people after three unexploded World War II bombs were discovered in the city.
According to Sky News, around 20,500 from a large area in the German city centre are ordered to evacuate so that the experts could defuse three American bombs, two 1,000kg and one 500kg, from WWII.
As per the statement issued by the city, three unexploded bombs were discovered on Monday in a shipyard in the Deutz neighbourhood.
‘The largest operation since the end of WW2’
The threat of the unexploded ordnance has prompted "the largest operation since the end of WW2." In which city has been sealed off the zone within a 1,000m (3,280ft) radius.
Homes, shops, schools, hotels, hospitals and major train stations have been told to evacuate.
The authorities warned people, “If you refuse, we will escort you from your home, if necessary by force, along with the police.”
Officials have set up two shelters for the people evacuating from the danger zone.
What prompts the biggest evacuation in Cologne since WWII?
Finding bombs dropped during World War Two is not news in Germany. In the previous years, numerous unexploded bombs were discovered in the country, particularly in Cologne and Berlin, but the difference is that the discovered bombs are comparatively larger.
Germany's bomb disposal service is planning to defuse the devices on Wednesday, but it could be only possible if all the residents in the densely populated area evacuate.
In a statement on the website, the City of Cologne said, "The evacuation is the largest such measure since the end of World War II. Everyone involved hopes that the defusal can be completed in the course of Wednesday."
Notably, as per reports, 1.5 million bombs were dropped on Cologne during WWII, and experts believe, around 20% did not fully detonate.
