Three hospitals in the German city of Cologne have been evacuated due to the impending disposal of a bomb from World War II, reports DPA. Approximately 6,400 residents have been forced to leave their homes, BTA reported.
A spokesman for the local authorities specified that about 1,300 people are involved in the disposal operation – representatives of the public order service, police officers, firefighters, rescuers and 800 volunteers.
Two of the three hospitals have already been evacuated in the last two days. In total, around 640 patients were affected, most of them being transferred to other medical facilities. Patients from the intensive care unit of the hospital in Merheim were transferred to the so-called a safe area that is specially secured in the event of an explosion during disposal.
The operation to dispose of the bomb, which weighs 1,000 kilograms, is expected to be completed before nightfall. The bomb was discovered at the site where the construction of a new health complex is planned.
Disposing of old bombs is a common occurrence in Cologne, as the city was one of the most heavily bombed during World War II.