Bomb from the second World War defused in Frankfurt, 16,000 evacuated

The bomb, found close to the headquarters of the European Central bank, was unearthed on a construction site at the end of June and weighed 500kg.

The Frankfurt skyline (photo credit: REUTERS)
The Frankfurt skyline
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Over 16,000 residents were evacuated from central Frankfurt as a bomb from the second World War was defused by ordnance experts on Sunday.
The bomb, found close to the headquarters of the European Central bank, was unearthed on a construction site at the end of June and weighed 500kg. 
The mass evacuation caused traffic disruptions through the city center and led to the closure of the Frankfurt Zoo and one of Frankfurt airport's runways. Coma and stroke patients from a nearby hospital were also moved.
The American-made bomb is one of thousands of undetonated bombs from WWII that the Allies dropped all over Germany. Experts estimate that up to 10% of the bombs are still littering the country undetonated.
In September 2017, 65,000 residents of Frankfurt were evacuated during the removal of a British "blockbuster" bomb, weighing over 1,600kg.
People wait for a metro train next to a sign reading "closed due to a bomb disposal" as they leave the East End prior to the disposal of a World War II 500kg aircraft bomb in Frankfurt
People wait for a metro train next to a sign reading "closed due to a bomb disposal" as they leave the East End prior to the disposal of a World War II 500kg aircraft bomb in Frankfurt