Today a 20 quintal bomb exploded in Holten

+++ 11. UPDATE 13/10/2022 19:30: The bomb has now been detonated. All closures on the affected roads and the A3 motorway will now be lifted. Evacuated people can also return to their homes. Speaker announcements and the Nina-Warn app will notify you of this. +++

+++ 10th UPDATE 13 October 2022, 19:20: The bomb blast is delayed. The reason: several people are staying illegally in the evacuation area. The police will take care of it. +++

+++ 9. UPDATE 13 October 2022, 17:30: The blast shaft has now been filled with sand. Now the water packs are full, so the bomb can be detonated. +++

+++ 8TH UPDATE 13/10/2022, 15:15: The bomb has now been placed in the explosive pit, which is now filled with several tons of sand and water. +++

+++ 7th UPDATE 13 October 2022, 14:15: The transport of the mud to the explosion about 500 meters away has already started. +++

+++ 5th UPDATE 13 October 2022, 13:15: The requested patient transports have now been carried out, all people have now left the evacuation radius, the road blocks concerned are active and the A3 motorway has also been closed in the area between the Oberhausen and Oberhausen Ovest motorway junctions now closed. Soon the transport of the mud will start over a distance of about 500 meters from the place of discovery to the explosive pit about eight meters deep. +++

+++ 4. UPDATE 13/10/2022, 12:55: The roadblocks around the safety zone are now active. All those affected have now left the evacuation area. The municipal field service is currently carrying out final checks on the evacuation area. However, the last patient transports have yet to be carried out. +++

+++ 3rd UPDATE 13 October 2022, 12:15: As part of the evacuation measures, a total of 14 patient transports were requested by people who could not leave their home alone. 107 firefighters were involved in the transport.
So far, however, not all 2,700 people have left the evacuation radius of 1,000 meters from the site. Unfortunately, there are many people who refuse to leave the danger zone. +++

+++ 2nd UPDATE 13/10/2022, 11:40 am: The photo shows the eight meter deep hole where the bomb exploded. Before that, it is covered with three large packs of water (three times 24,000 liters) and several tons of sand. +++

+++ UPDATE 13/10/2022, 11:10: The evacuation measures began punctually at 9 am. So far without any particular incidents. More information will follow. +++

13/10/2022 – During the exploration works on the Emscher, a 20,000-weight bomb from the Second World War was found on the Emscherdamm, which can no longer be defused and will therefore be detonated in a controlled manner on Thursday, 13 October, in afternoon from the Dusseldorf District Government Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service arrived. Before that, however, the mud had to be transported from the site to an area prepared for detonation. This measurement, which starts at 13:00, can therefore take several hours.

About 2,700 people live within the danger zone within a 1,000 meter radius of the site (evacuation radius) in the city of Oberhausen (about 1,600 in the Duisburg area) who have been evacuated and have to leave their homes. All interested persons will be informed via announcements via loudspeakers and leaflets from employees of the public order office and the fire brigade. Evacuation measures will start at 9:00 am.

The Heinrich-Böll-Gesamtschule, Schmachtendorfer Straße 165, is available as a childcare center for people who cannot find accommodation. Bedridden, sick and frail people who cannot leave their home on their own can call 19222 for a fire brigade transportation service.

People living within a radius of between 1,000 and 2,000 meters from the site (danger radius) cannot leave their homes after 12:00. Another 5,400 people in Oberhausen and around 13,600 people in Duisburg are affected.

For further information, you can contact a city hotline on Thursday 13 October from 7:00 am on 0208 825-2054 and 0208 825-2235.

The following points / intersections on the outer radius will be closed from 12:00:
Graßhofstrasse / Holtstegstrasse, Scheiferstrasse / Holtstegstrasse, Emmericher Strasse / Holtstegstrasse, Huhnerstrasse / Emmericher Strasse, Oranienstrasse / Genter Strasse, Schmachtendorfer Strasse / Lütticher Strasse, Sternstrasse, Weseler Strasse near the motorway, Waldteich-Trasse near the roundabout , Königstrasse / Weierstrasse / Weidenstrasse, Beerenstrasse / Friesenstrasse, Weselerstrasse / Weierstrasse / Wolfstrasse.

Also affected is the A 3 motorway, which will be closed on Thursday 13 October from 1 pm between the motorway junctions of Oberhausen and Oberhausen-West until the moment of the explosion, while the Holten exit will be closed from 12 noon. area, you should drive in this area.

In public transport, SB bus lines 90, 935, 954, 955, 956, 957 and 960 are also affected from 12:00.

No trains stop at Oberhausen-Holten station after 12:00, this applies to lines RE 5, RE 19 and RE 49. The route between Oberhausen-Sterkrade and Dinslaken should be full from 13:00 for the whole duration of transport and the explosion stopped. Travelers can find information on rail services on the website at zuginfo.nrw and in the news media of the railway companies National Express (RE 5), Vias (RE 19) and DB Regio NRW (RE 49).

Information on the further course can be found here and on Facebook.