A 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) American bomb was found during construction work near a crucial railroad bridge on Monday evening, prompting warnings about an imminent evacuation.
"Evacuation in Cologne’s Deutz is completed. All buildings have been vacated. Air, river and railway traffic have been stopped," the statement reads.
Fifteen residents were asked to temporarily leave their homes. Nearby businesses, the RTL broadcaster and the Cologne opera were also evacuated.
The Hohenzollern rail and pedestrian bridge has been blocked. The German state railway service said trains would pass the station in the Deutz borough without stopping.
A woman who works nearby shared a photo of a special vehicle operating at the scene.
A huge american WW2-bomb was found right in front of my workplace. This happens now and then in Cologne till this day. I don't have any need for WW3-memes. WW2 is still present in this way.
— Silvana_Ge (@Silvana_Gee) January 21, 2020
Now, I'm waiting at home, until the situation is secure. pic.twitter.com/CVFbOwhOTx
The defusing operation was greenlit shortly after 11 a.m. local time (10:00 GMT) and was successfully completed at around midday, according to WDR television network.
