Explosive discovery in Giessen: Around 1200 people are evacuated

Giessen

Bomb disposal team in action

On Thursday morning, August 11, 2022, an aerial bomb from the Second World War was discovered during construction work on the Rödgener Straße in Giessen. The 250-kilogram bomb was found at around 10:30 a.m. and a 100-meter cordon was set up around the site. As a precaution, around 1200 residents had to leave their homes.

The bomb disposal team was called to the scene and began defusing the bomb at around 1:30 p.m. The defusing work took several hours. During this time, the surrounding area had to be evacuated. The residents were able to return to their homes in the evening after the bomb had been successfully defused.

More bomb finds in Hesse

In recent months, there have been several other bomb finds in Hesse. In June, a 250-kilogram bomb was found in Frankfurt am Main. In May, a 500-kilogram bomb was found in Wiesbaden. Both bombs were successfully defused.

Danger from unexploded ordnance

The discovery of unexploded ordnance is a reminder of the dangers that still exist from the Second World War. Although more than 70 years have passed since the end of the war, there are still many unexploded bombs and other munitions in the ground. These can pose a serious risk to the population, especially during construction work.

Tips for the population

If you discover an object that you suspect could be an unexploded bomb, do not touch it or move it. Instead, contact the police or the fire department immediately. The police can then call in the bomb disposal team to defuse the bomb safely.