THE WORLD

Thousands of people are evacuated in Cologne, Germany due to the Second World War bomb

Koln

Authorities in the German city of Cologne have evacuated three hospitals and thousands of homes after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered during work on a new medical campus, writes The Guardian.

The 1000-kilogram American aerial bomb will be defused on Friday.

Authorities had prepared an evacuation plan six months ago when work began on the campus, as it was feared that unexploded ordnance would be discovered.

An evacuation zone of 500 meters has been created around the area where the bomb is located. City officials say experts have told them eight more unexploded bombs may be there, but that this can only be determined by further excavation.

The evacuation operation, according to authorities, was the largest of its kind since 1945.

Cologne was among the most heavily bombed cities in Europe during World War II. Evacuations due to bomb finds occur every year and are also common in other major cities in Germany that were hit hard, including Berlin.