Air bomb in Ettlingen: 1,500 people evacuated, defused!

Air bomb in Ettlingen: 1,500 people evacuated, defused!

Ettlingen, Deutschland - In Ettlingen there was a explosive situation today when a flying bomb from the Second World War was discovered. The site, a construction area in the exploratory work for a new residential area, ensured a quick reaction from the authorities that had to act immediately. The bomb, which had a weight of 1,000 kilograms, was a significant danger, which is why the crisis team under Mayor Moritz Heidecker immediately initiated an evacuation plan. Mayor Johannes Arnold achieved this information at 3:18 p.m., while he was in the twin town of énernay, as bnn.de.

A total of around 1,500 people had to leave their apartments within a radius of 400 meters. The fire brigade went from house to house with loudspeaker announcements to inform the citizens. In the event of cases, several collection points were set up, where 120 residents were protected: the Albgauhalle, the Stadthalle and the Bürgerhalle in Ettlingenweier. Most decided to stay with relatives or friends.

evacuation and defusing

The evacuation was largely smooth, supported by around 300 fire brigade, police, technical relief organization and the German Red Cross. These were not only responsible for spatial security, but also for the mental support of those affected by emergency pastors. Those who could not switch to the collection points were not allowed in the evacuated areas to ensure security.

The ordnance disposal service was on will to defuse the bomb and waited for the conclusion of the evacuation measures. At around 10:45 p.m., the aviation bomb was made ready for transport and then brought to a prepared funnel towards Hedwigshof. The defusing finally took place successfully around 1:04 a.m. without a detonation

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like swr.de reported, a two-meter-deep crater was excavated to minimize the consequences of a possible explosion. After the successful defusing, the residents were allowed to go back to their houses, while the bomb was then transported to Sindelfingen for destruction with a truck.

after -effects and outlook

Because of the nightly measures, the town hall in Ettlingen remains closed on Tuesday to enable the emergency services to relax. Despite the tense situation, it was not possible not to block the highway, which is a positive message in view of the circumstances.

The discovery of the aviation bomb was not completely unexpected due to aerial photographs, but it is more likely to show once again how important it is to react quickly and efficiently at such finds. The events remind us that the past can often intervene unexpectedly in the present, and the emergency services demonstrated that they have both the necessary skill and the will to intervene quickly in an emergency.