British ‘blockbuster’ bomb from second world war forces massive evacuation of Frankfurt
It will be the biggest evacuation of its kind in post-war Germany
Thousands of residents of Frankfurt left their homes early on Sunday before the planned defusing of a massive second world war bomb discovered on a building site in the German financial capital.
A steady flow of people filed into a temporary centre at Frankfurt’s trade fair site, in Germany’s biggest evacuation since the war.
The bomb was found last week in the city’s leafy Westend suburb, where many wealthy bankers live, and the evacuation area included the country’s central bank where US$70 billion in gold reserves are stored.
German media said the 1.8-tonne British bomb was nicknamed “Wohnblockknacker” – or blockbuster – for its ability to wipe out whole streets and flatten buildings.
Around 60,000 people had to leave their homes and Frankfurt fire and police chiefs said they would use force if necessary to clear the area, warning that an uncontrolled explosion of the bomb would be big enough to flatten a city block.