Bombing: World War II bomb blown up on the Karlsruhe-Basel railway line

bomb blast
World War II bomb blown up on the Karlsruhe-Basel railway line

The detonation of a World War II bomb has caused chaos in rail traffic. photo

© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa

Even many decades after the Second World War, bombs keep popping up during construction work. A recent case also had consequences for long-distance traffic between Karlsruhe and Basel.

During excavations on Friday, an excavator driver found a World War II bomb near the Karlsruhe-Basel railway line. Deutsche Bahn interrupted all train traffic in Rastatt at noon, which also affected ICE.

Specialists from the explosive ordnance disposal service examined the explosive device, which weighed around 250 kilograms, and came to the conclusion that it had to be detonated in a controlled manner. For this purpose, the area around one kilometer around the site was evacuated. According to the information, around 5000 citizens were affected. At around 11:15 p.m., the police reported that the dud had been blown up.

The controlled demolition was necessary because, according to the experts, the 80 centimeter long bomb was in such a bad condition that it could neither be defused nor transported, explained Mayor Arne Pfirrmann (Free Voters), who is responsible for security and order. To be on the safe side, according to him, the A5 motorway in the area around Rastatt should also be temporarily closed due to the blast. People should therefore be prepared for traffic problems.

Chaos in rail traffic

Trains from the direction of Karlsruhe ended or started in Rastatt at noon, those from the direction of Offenburg ended/started in Baden-Baden, as reported by Deutsche Bahn. This affected local and long-distance traffic, including ICE. Buses took over the shuttle service, a spokeswoman said. Travelers would have to expect trains to be delayed or cancelled. After the blast, the railway wanted to check the tracks, as the spokeswoman explained. If no problems are found, there should be no restrictions on rail traffic at the weekend.

According to the police, the Niederbühl district, the Münchfeldsiedlung and Leopoldplatz were cleared. For those affected who cannot stay with friends or acquaintances, alternative options have been set up in the Badnerhalle, among other places. As Mayor Pfirrmann said, numerous emergency services from the fire brigade and police, the authorities in the city and country as well as the German Red Cross and the Technical Relief Organization were on duty.

All bans lifted

With loudspeaker vehicles they asked people in the evening to leave the restricted area. After the evacuation was complete, a helicopter with a thermal imaging camera should check that there were no longer any people there, Pfirrmann had announced.

Shortly after midnight, the Offenburg police reported via Twitter that after the bomb had been successfully detonated, all closures had been lifted and residents were allowed to return to their houses and apartments. The A5 has also been reopened to traffic.

Even many decades after the Second World War, bombs keep popping up during construction work. On average, around 1,300 tons of ordnance are still found nationwide every year. Hundreds of duds are defused. Most date from the period 1942-1945, when Germany was bombed from the air. It is unclear how much ammunition is still underground. According to the regional council in Stuttgart, 100,000 tons of dropped ammunition fell during the war in Baden-Württemberg alone, of which 10 to 15 percent were not detonated.

Most defuses are uncomplicated. Sometimes buildings have to be cleared and streets closed.

dpa

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