Thousands forced from their homes as German authorities defuse giant WWII bomb

OVER 20,000 people were forced to leave their homes as German authorities defused a giant bomb which dated back to World War Two.

Thousands of homes were evacuated in the west German city of Dortmund on Sunday.

The 4,000-pound explosive was found after experts analysed old aerial shots of the industrial city while searching for unexploded devices dropped by the Allies during a sustained bombing campaign against Germany's Ruhr region.

Some 1,200 personnel from the city's public sector staff helped to organise the evacuation.

A hospital and several aged care facilities were also evacuated.

The zoo and several leisure parks offered free admission to evacuees and special accommodation was set up at a local conference centre.

There was a minor scare as the bomb was being defused when two wheelchair-bound residents alerted officials they were still inside their homes which lay inside the danger zone.




Source: Express news