The 500-kilogram World War II bomb in Kassel was detonated in a controlled manner in the evening. A bang was heard in the city area – much later than planned.
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Video 03:52 mins | 08/11/23, 4:45 p.m. | Hessenschau
Preparations for bombing in Kassel
A World War II bomb weighing 500 kilograms was detonated in a controlled manner on Friday evening in the Rothenditmold district of Kassel. This was confirmed by the city of Kassel. The bang at around 7:35 p.m. was significantly quieter than expected – the bomb’s insulation with sand worked.
As the city further announced, the barriers around the site were lifted: the residents can go back to their homes. The blast on the site of the Mercedes-Benz plant came much later than the authorities initially planned.
Delayed evacuation
The evacuation in the affected area in Kassel was completed shortly after 2 p.m. after delays. The reason for this was 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.
A helicopter had flown over the area to ensure that all of the approximately 7,500 residents had evacuated their homes. A restricted zone had been set up within a radius of 1,000 meters around the site.
Bomb covered with 750 tons of sand
The 500-kilogram World War II bomb was discovered in a pit in Kassel-Rothenditmold on Thursday. Because one of the bomb’s two detonators was damaged, the city said it could not be easily defused. The dud was therefore covered with 750 tons of sand and blown up.
Massive restrictions in local and long-distance traffic
In the long-distance traffic of Deutsche Bahn, there were significant impairments. Long-distance trains could not stop in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe and were diverted.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the ICE/IC trains between Frankfurt, Würzburg and Göttingen and the IC between Hamm (Westphalia) and Erfurt were affected. Passengers had to expect longer travel times because the trains were using the detour routes. According to the city of Kassel, bus and train traffic around Rothenberg, Wiener Straße and Wolfhager Straße had been stopped since 12 noon.
established care centers
The restricted area included the Mercedes-Benz factory, the Marien Hospital, schools, a day-care center, an allotment garden and Deutsche Bahn tracks. The police had asked on Friday morning with loudspeaker announcements to leave the affected area.
Operations planned for Friday had been canceled in the Marien Hospital. The operating theaters were needed to accommodate the intensive care patients.
There were four care centers for people who could not stay with relatives, friends or elsewhere during the evacuation. The city announced on Friday evening that around 400 people had gathered there:
at the Heinrich Schütz School, at the Wilhelmsgymnasium, at the Elisabeth Knipping School, in the documenta hall More information
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