Explosive teams prepared to defuse a 500‑kg World War II US aerial bomb exposed near Cologne after the Rhine fell to record low levels. About 360 people within a 400‑metre radius, including retirement‑home residents and RTL staff, were due to be evacuated. The bomb was found near Rheinpark on Wednesday evening; authorities have not yet announced a defusing time. Officials said low water is disrupting shipping and that levels are unlikely to recover substantially in the coming days.
Low Rhine Exposes 500‑kg WWII Bomb Near Cologne — 360 People To Be Evacuated
Inland waterway vessels sail on the Rhine with light loads, during low water levels. (is associated with: «Receding Rhine reveals large unexploded WW2 bomb») Oliver Berg/dpa
Explosive ordnance teams prepared to defuse a 500-kilogram World War II aerial bomb after extremely low water on the Rhine exposed the device near Cologne.
Evacuations and Defusing Operation
City officials said about 360 people living or working within a 400-metre radius of the find were to be evacuated. The evacuation zone includes residents of a retirement home and staff at the nearby RTL television studios. The US-manufactured bomb was discovered on Wednesday evening close to Cologne's Rheinpark. Authorities have not yet announced the exact time set for the defusing operation.
Record Low Water and Wider Impact
The discovery comes as the Rhine in Cologne again fell to record low levels after prolonged heat and drought. The river gauge dropped to 67 centimetres on Thursday, matching a historic low recorded days earlier, with forecasts suggesting it could fall further to 66 centimetres. Low water has forced shipping on Germany's busiest inland waterway to reduce loads and has exposed objects long hidden beneath the riverbed.
Officials warned that water levels were expected to rise only slightly in the coming days, with no sustained recovery in sight.
This incident underscores how extreme weather and aging wartime ordnance can combine to create sudden public-safety challenges even decades after conflict.
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