Specialists have been examining the area in Cologne on the right bank of the Rhine for months. According to the city of Cologne, it is about suspicion of unexploded bombs and smaller ordnance such as ammunition or grenades. The area was used as barracks and airfield during the Third Reich.
Several points of suspicion
The experts therefore do not rule out that there were Allied bombings there. In addition, aerial photos from the war period were evaluated and “measurements in the ground were carried out”. With the result that several suspicious points emerged. The points are now being excavated in order to see exactly what is in the ground, according to a statement from the city of Cologne . A new “health campus” is to be built on the site. So the area must be checked for explosive ordnance before construction begins.
City wants to inform 5,000 households
If an actual discovery were made on October 11th, not only patients from several clinics but also residents of a senior citizens’ home would have to be brought to safety. If possible mitigations were made, several thousand residents in the surrounding districts, daycare centers and schools would also be affected. The city plans to announce on October 9th which areas are specifically within the evacuation radius.
