Bomb (Air Delivered) event in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bochum-Werne, Bochum area, Germany on Thu 15th June 2023

The two bombs in Bochum-Werne. They were defused early Thursday evening. Bochum. After an exciting day, calm returns in Bochum-Werne. Two bombs were successfully defused and everyone was allowed to go home. Two World War II bombs kept the emergency services and citizens in Bochum-Werne in suspense on Thursday. After an extensive evacuation operation - 2400 people had to leave their houses and apartments - the defusing could begin in the early evening. After a good hour, the all-clear was given: both bombs were defused and a single detonator was successfully detonated. The bang could be heard far across the area. Immediately after the announcement of the happy news, the citizens were allowed to go home. "Everyone cooperated very well," said city spokeswoman Kirsten Ilk in the evening. There were no problems with the evacuation either. First, the American 250-kilo bomb was defused, then the 125-kilo bomb, whose detonator had to be detonated. The railway line was also closed for this. The trains were diverted. Up until Thursday morning, the city had considered it possible that there were even eight bombs in the ground on Heinrich-Gustav-Strasse in Werne . At noon, however, it was clear that there were "only" two. They were found under the Werner SV 06 sports facility, which is currently being renovated. It quickly became clear that the bombs should be defused on Thursday evening. It was an English 500 kg bomb and an American 125 kg bomb. They were 60 meters apart, one 2.5 meters deep, the other 4.5 meters. Athletes have walked over it for decades.