An unexploded World War II bomb has been successfully defused in the German city of Dresden, police said, after a huge evacuation operation.
The 250kg British device was found yesterday during work in the city centre to rebuild a bridge over the Elbe river that collapsed in 2024.
Officials decided to move 18,000 people from the area, the largest such operation in the eastern German city, emergency services said.
More than 400 police along with other emergency services were deployed, backed up by a helicopter and a drone, to check that homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices were empty inside a 1km radius of the bomb.
This afternoon, police said the device had been defused.
Specialists "removed the detonator of the bomb at 3.10pm (2.10pm Irish time) before exploding it", a statement said, adding that the device was also removed from the site.
The evacuation zone will be opened again once a final safety check is completed, police said.
The bomb was discovered during clearance and construction work following the partial bridge collapse in September 2024.
The evacuation affected major historic sites including Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche church, as well as residential buildings, hotels and government offices.
Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies on 13 and 14 February 1945, killing up to 25,000 people and destroying large parts of the old town known for its Baroque architecture.
World War II bombs were previously found and defused at the bridge site in January and August of last year, with thousands of people affected each time.
