Train service resumes following successful bomb disposal.
In the heart of Stuttgart, Germany, a significant event unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when a World War II bomb was discovered during construction work at the Stuttgart 21 site in the Bad Cannstatt district.
Weighing a hefty 250 kilograms, the suspected American bomb was found near the Augsburger Straße and Untertürkheim areas involved in the construction. To ensure safety, authorities swiftly established a 400-meter exclusion zone that encompassed residential neighborhoods, commercial areas, an industrial park, and crucial railway tracks.
As a result, around 1,000 residents within this zone were evacuated by evening and temporarily housed in a local sports hall. The bomb's discovery caused significant disruptions to train traffic, with long-distance and regional services passing through the affected railway lines being interrupted or rerouted, leading to delays and cancellations.
Trains suspended services during the bomb defusal operation but began gradually resuming service at about 8:15 PM on the same day. By the following morning, train operations were back to normal schedule, albeit with lingering minor restrictions during the night.
The successful defusal of this unexploded ordnance averted a potentially catastrophic incident in a densely populated and transport-important area of Stuttgart. The event serves as a reminder of the persistent legacy of World War II bombs in Germany, where an estimated 15 percent of dropped explosives failed to detonate at the time and continue to pose risks during construction or excavation activities decades later.
Stuttgart maintains ongoing protocols involving bomb disposal units to quickly respond to such discoveries and protect residents and infrastructure. A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn reported on the resumption of train traffic, assuring passengers that while there may be some restrictions in long-distance and regional train traffic throughout the night, services would return to normal as soon as possible.
This incident in Stuttgart underscores the importance of vigilance and preparedness in dealing with the remnants of past conflicts, ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens and maintaining the smooth operation of essential services.
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