15,000 people evacuated in Dresden because of a bomb

Some 15,000 people are being evacuated in Dresden following the discovery of an unexploded World War II aircraft bomb. It is expected to be deactivated within a day, the Bild newspaper reported.

According to published reports, the American-made shell weighs around 250 kg.

It is said that the specialists who arrived at the site determined that it can explode at any moment, it needs to be deactivated urgently.

Police have cordoned off the area and local residents have been told to leave their homes. Nearly 400 police officers are going door-to-door to check if anyone is still at home. Temporary shelter has been arranged for the evacuees.

The bomb was discovered not far from the railway line leading from Dresden to the south-west, towards Freital. Train traffic on this line has been completely stopped. A number of local and long-distance flights have been cancelled, including those to Leipzig and Berlin.