WWII Bomb Removed from German Construction Site

Kaiserslautern, Germany The discovery of a 550-pound WWII bomb on a construction site led to a large-scale evacuation in downtown Kaiserslautern, home to multiple U.S. bases and the largest overseas American military community.

Police and emergency workers evacuated residents in a 300-meter radius around the site, and an EOD team responded to defuse the UXO. The disposal team quickly removed one detonator from the bomb, but a second detonator was deformed because of the excavation, according to a city statement. That delayed disposal until further materials could be delivered to the site, city officials said.

Following defusal operations, the streets reopened and the more than 3,400 people residing within the evacuated area were allowed to return home.

The U.S. military was not part of the disposal but some U.S. officials were reportedly at the scene.