The explosive ordnance disposal service has defused a 500 kilogram World War II bomb in the Biebrich district of Wiesbaden. Resistance from residents and numerous prone transports had delayed the evacuation for hours.
The World War II bomb opposite the Kallebad in Wiesbaden-Biebrich was successfully defused at around 2:20 p.m., the city of Wiesbaden announced on Wednesday.
Residents are allowed to return to their apartments and houses. The restricted area could be entered again and road closures would be lifted.
Transports and resistance took time
There had previously been problems with the evacuation of the restricted area of around one kilometer around the site: several residents had resisted and refused the police’s request to leave their houses and apartments to defuse the fire.
In addition, there were many short-term prone transports that would have taken more time, according to the public order office, fire department, police and various aid organizations during the ongoing evacuation operation.
Residents reported to the city at short notice by mid-morning. Around 10,000 people were affected by the evacuation.
Evacuation delayed by four hours
According to plan, the evacuation of the exclusion zone should be completed by 9 a.m. In the morning, the operations management initially pushed the schedule back by two hours and finally moved it again to “from 1 p.m.”.
Large crowds in the care center
The radius of the evacuation area was set at one kilometer on Tuesday evening, and more than 10,000 residents are affected. There are eight daycare centers in the radius; no emergency care is offered there, according to the city. Holiday care has also been canceled at three schools.
For people who cannot stay with family, friends or acquaintances outside the exclusion zone, the city has set up a care center with 200 places in the association house in the Dotzheim district. Because of the high demand, another emergency shelter was being prepared in a school, it was said during the evacuation operation.
Impairments in traffic
Parts of the A643 and A66 in the area of the Schiersteiner Kreuz were also in the restricted area. The A66 has been closed since the morning in both directions between Wiesbaden-Biebrich and Wiesbaden-Frauenstein and the A643 between Wiesbaden-Äppelallee and Schiersteiner Kreuz.
The city announced that the closures should be lifted as soon as possible. Deutsche Bahn stopped passenger and freight traffic on the route between Wiesbaden-Biebrich and Eltville (Rheingau-Taunus) from 11:40 a.m.
It was initially unclear when traffic would resume. The buses in Wiesbaden should run again shortly after the defusing.
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