Undefined Explosive Device (UED) event in North Rhine-Westphalia, Ostviertel Essen area, Germany on Mon 26th June 2023

A bomb from the Second World War was defused in Essen's Ostviertel near the main train station today. The closures of the main station and the A40 have been lifted. When it comes to bomb disposal, the Ruhr area isn't getting any rest these days. This time it was particularly complicated: the main traffic axis with road and rail was affected. And: The detonator of the bomb had to be blown up. No train has stopped at Essen Central Station since 7 p.m. Train traffic had to be diverted around Essen over a large area , and it will take some time for timetables to return to normal, says Deutsche Bahn. The Autobahn 40 has now been released again, the section between Essen-Zentrum and Huttrop was closed for about an hour and a half. Again and again people in the evacuated area The houses had to be evacuated 250 meters around the site. Many people had already left their offices and shops in the afternoon. In total, more than 4,200 people in the area were affected. Igniter must be blown up The dud was found during construction work very close to the main train station on Hollestrasse, in the area where it crosses Steeler Strasse. It is a British five hundredweight bomb with an impact fuse. Since the bomb was moved, it had to be defused on Monday. 14 tons of sand had to be piled up especially for the blast - as protection.