A World War II bomb weighing 500 kilograms has to be detonated in Kassel today. The evacuation of the restricted area has ended – the city does not expect the blast until the early evening.
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00:39 Min.
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11.08.23
|hessenschau.de
Evacuation in Kassel has begun
According to the city, the detonation of the 500-kilogram World War II bomb in the Rothenditmold district of Kassel has been delayed. As a spokeswoman announced in the afternoon, the dud is currently being covered with sand – the blasting could probably take place in the early evening.
The evacuation in the affected area in Kassel was completed shortly after 2 p.m. after delays. The reason for the delays were “people with restricted mobility” in their apartments.
In addition, some people did not want to leave their homes, said Thomas Schmidt, head of the crisis team. There were a total of 20 police operations to get people who refused to evacuate out of the zone.
Loud bang expected in the city area
A helicopter flew over the area to ensure that all of the approximately 7,500 residents have evacuated their homes. The explosive ordnance clearance service is now preparing the demolition. A restricted zone had been set up within a radius of 1,000 meters around the site.
A loud explosion and flying fragments are to be expected during the blast. “You will hear the bang throughout the city,” said the head of the ordnance clearance service, Alexander Majunke. “Hot splinters will fly during the blast,” warned Crisis Team Leader Thomas Schmidt.
Bomb covered with 750 tons of sand
The 500-kilogram World War II bomb was discovered in a pit in Kassel-Rothenditmold on Thursday. “Normally, bombs weigh about 250 kilos. The bomb here has a correspondingly larger impact.” According to the city, the dud is on the site of the Mercedes-Benz plant.
Because one of the bomb’s two detonators was damaged, it could not be easily defused, the city said. The dud should therefore be covered with 750 tons of sand and blown up. On Thursday, several trucks loaded with sand could already be seen driving onto the factory premises.
Massive restrictions in local and long-distance traffic
As the Deutsche Bahn announced, there are significant impairments in long-distance traffic. During the closure, long-distance trains could not stop in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe and would be diverted.
The ICE/IC trains between Frankfurt, Würzburg and Göttingen and the IC between Hamm (Westphalia) and Erfurt are affected. Passengers must therefore expect longer journey times because the trains are using the detour routes.
According to the city, bus and train traffic around Rothenberg, Wiener Straße and Wolfhager Straße has been stopped since 12 noon. It is not yet clear when the restricted area will be released again. Citizens can obtain information via a service hotline by dialing 115.
established care centers
The restricted area includes the Mercedes-Benz factory, St. Mary’s Hospital, schools, a day care center, an allotment garden and Deutsche Bahn tracks. According to the city, the police called on Friday morning with loudspeaker announcements to leave the affected area.
For people who cannot stay with relatives, friends or somewhere else during the evacuation, there are four care centers in which 250 residents are now staying:
In the Heinrich Schütz School, in the Wilhelmsgymnasium, in the Elisabeth Knipping School, in the documenta hall
Marien Hospital also evacuated
In the nearby Marien Hospital, preparations for the upcoming evacuation were already underway on Thursday. “We only have to clear the parts of the building facing the site,” said Medical Director Thomas Lüsebrink in the evening of the hr. The currently around 150 patients could all be accommodated in other areas of the clinic – the so-called explosive shadow. Transfers to other hospitals are not necessary.
All operations planned for Friday have already been cancelled. The operating rooms are needed to accommodate the intensive care patients, as Lüsebrink explained. “Planned discharges of patients are already being brought forward,” the medical director continued.
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