An unexploded WWII bomb has been discovered in Berlin, Germany.
Police on Wednesday were forced to evacuate dozens of homes ahead of an attempt to remove the bomb’s mechanical fuse. A total of 839 residents were asked to leave their homes as officers cleared a 300-yard radius around the device.
The bomb was identified as a 220 pound device that was dropped by Russia during World War II.
Berlin police spokesman Jens Berger acknowledged the danger posed to the city’s bomb disposal team:
“They do risk a lot, but they have a lot of experience. Here in Berlin it is a fact of daily life to defuse bombs, but without question they are risking a lot.”
The bomb was discovered on Heidestrasse, a lightly populated area built on what was once called “no man’s land.” Heidestrasse is located between East Berlin and West Berlin.
A bomb disposal team in Berlin discovered the bomb on Tuesday when checking out a construction site. Officials closed roads into the area on Tuesday night.
A train depot located on one side of the bomb caused delays as officials were forced to close the station. Officials say Berlin’s metro system (S-Bahn) was not affected by the bomb scare.
Bomb teams in Germany continue to search for devices that were deployed by Allied forces during WWII. Officials believe that many unexploded bombs still remain throughout parts of Germany many decades after the end of World War II.
The bomb problem in Germany is big enough that private bomb disposal teams have been contracted to German railway operator Deutsche Bahn and other companies. The team’s move ahead of construction projects to ensure workers do not dig into an old relic of WWII.
Tuesday’s bomb is eclipsed by a 550 pound bomb that was found last year in central Munich . The Munich bomb was so unstable that officials chose to detonate it rather than defuse it.
