Ettlingen: all -clear after bomb find - only iron rod discovered!

Ettlingen: all -clear after bomb find - only iron rod discovered!

On Monday, July 7, 2025, a dangerous find in Ettlingen (Karlsruhe district) caused excitement: A 1,000 kg flying bomb from World War II was discovered during exploratory work for a new residential area. The situation required quick action, because around 1,500 residents had to be evacuated from a radius of 400 meters around the site. The mayor of Ettlingen, Johannes Arnold, gave a positive update in an initial assessment: one of two suspected points had turned out to be harmless. The topics of ordnance found only an iron rod at a depth of 80 cm, which generated similar measurements to a bomb, so that the all-clarification bell rang quietly, but the second suspicion is still pending.

The defusing of the bomb was completed around 1 a.m. After that, the evacuated had access to their apartments. In advance, the bomb had been transported to a special defusing place outside of Ettlingen with an excavator at step speed, where a two -meter -deep crater was excavated. This security measure should minimize the dangers of a possible explosion. Fortunately, a motorway closure was not necessary, which Arnold emphasized in his statement.

a thorough process

The disposal of ordnance, a critical topic for public security, includes the elimination of fighting and its legacies, as can be seen from the guidelines of the Baden-Württemberg ordnance disposal service. After the Second World War, the Allied occupying powers initially took on this task, later the federal states. Today it is above all a preventive measure to protect the population, which is based, among other things, on historical records and aerial photographs to discover information on ordnance pollution in an area, as Wikipedia explains.

The second suspicion is currently evaluating by a auditor. As Mayor Arnold emphasized, the all -clear may only take place when both experts reach the same assessment. The four-eye principle applies, which further increase security. The result of this test will be announced for tomorrow.

Community efforts

A total of around 300 fire brigade, police, technical relief organization and the German Red Cross were deployed to successfully carry out the evacuation and defusing. It was a necessity that passers -by did not stay in the evacuated areas to ensure the security of everyone. The rapidly initiated evacuation measure and the rapid processing of the incident show how important a good interplay of authorities is.

"We have the opportunity to quickly recognize and neutralize such dangers through modern technology and extensive experience," emphasized Arnold. The discovery of the flying bomb was not entirely unexpected due to prior air photoves, which made the process easier. A strong sign of the preparations and measures that are important in these cases.

The situation remains tense for the city of Ettlingen, but the first information gives rise to hope. As the reports show, the security situation is under control, and the city administration will continue to take all the necessary steps to ensure the security of its citizens. Stay tuned for further updates on this topic!