World War II bomb in Munich: 400 people have to be evacuated!

World War II bomb in Munich: 400 people have to be evacuated!

On Wednesday afternoon, a find from the Second World War caused a stir in Munich. An aerial bomb was discovered at a construction site in Schwabing, which is putting residents' and visitors' sense of security to the test. The discovery of the approximately 250 kilogram bomb occurred in the north of the city, exactly on the corner of Kraepelinstrasse, James-Loebstrasse and Bummstrasse, while work was being carried out to lay cables. The Munich fire department was informed immediately and confirmed the critical discovery, which revealed the most dangerous part of the explosive device, a functioning detonator containing 125 kilograms of explosives. As [Augsburger Allgemeine](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/bayern/fliegerbombe-in-muenchen-schwabing-found-evakuieren-notwendig-110367303) reports, the specialists are already on site to assess the situation and plan necessary evacuations.

In total, around 400 people are affected by the upcoming evacuations. The residents in the immediate vicinity, including the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry and parts of the Schwabing Hospital, were informed of the situation in good time. However, the clinic has announced that no patient rooms need to be evacuated, which is a relief for the affected patients and their relatives. The Sternstunden children's home, near where the bomb was discovered, was also concerned about the safety of the approximately 80 children who were immediately brought home. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung adds, the Pfennigparade Foundation and patients of the psychiatric clinic are also affected by the evacuation.

Security precautions and traffic restrictions

Health and safety authorities have already taken extensive precautions. Affected residents were informed through loudspeaker announcements and the media while the police and fire brigade are on site. Defusing the bomb is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. If the defusing is successful, the evacuees should be able to return to their homes in the evening. However, the situation not only has an impact on residents, but also on local public transport: at the important Scheidplatz junction, three subway exits have already been closed by police order and bus route 142 is being rerouted.

Munich has repeatedly been confronted with the problem of World War II bombs in the past; During the Second World War alone, the city was bombed over 70 times. It is therefore not uncommon for aerial bombs to be discovered during construction work. As [Wiesbaden.de](https://www.wiesbaden.de/ja/leben-in-wiesbaden/feuerwehr-notfaelle/Einsatz_Praevention/Not-_und_ Krisenfaelle/xxx-kritikenfall-evakuierung-und-bombenentschaerfung) discusses, evacuation measures are not only limited to the Munich region, but are a general approach in crisis situations, which is also used in natural disasters or other emergencies.

The current situation requires quick action because delayed evacuations can lead to dangerous situations. Security forces are prepared for a possible event of a failed defusal, which once again underlines the central importance of a well-organized evacuation. We will report further as soon as there is news about the defusing of the bomb.