Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

British WWII bomb found in Germany’s Frankfurt could flatten whole city block

by

FRANKFURT Sep 01, 2017 - 12:00 am GMT+3
A blue tent covers an unexploded 1.8 tons WW II bomb in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. (AP Photo)
A blue tent covers an unexploded 1.8 tons WW II bomb in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. (AP Photo)
by Sep 01, 2017 12:00 am

Failure to defuse a World War Two bomb found at a building site in Germany's financial capital Frankfurt could cause a big enough explosion to flatten a city block, a fire department official said on Friday.

"This bomb has more than 1.4 tons of explosives," Frankfurt fire chief Reinhard Ries told reporters. "It's not just fragments that are the problem, but also the pressure that it creates that would dismantle all the buildings in a 100-meter (yard) radius.".

The HC 4000 bomb is assumed to have been dropped by Britain's Royal Air Force during the 1939-45 war. It was discovered earlier this week on a building site in Frankfurt's leafy Westend, where many wealthy bankers live.

Defusing it will require the biggest postwar evacuation in Germany, with police planning to clear an area including police headquarters, two hospitals, transport systems and Germany's central bank storing $70 billion in gold reserves.

Frankfurt city officials have said more than 60,000 residents will have to leave their homes for at least 12 hours.

On Friday, they called on Frankfurt's residents to clear the area for 1.5 km (roughly a mile) around the bomb, by 8 a.m. on Sunday, saying police would be authorized to remove by force anyone who refused to leave.

"We want to avoid not being able to return to these buildings on Monday morning. That would create a very difficult situation for Frankfurt," fire chief Ries said.

It is not unusual for unexploded bombs from World War Two air raids to be found in German cities, but rarely are they so large and in such a sensitive position.

About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 01, 2017 11:02 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Suspensions, rims and more: Essen Motor Show 2021
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021