World War II bomb prompts evacuation of 1,500 in Rosenheim

A suspected 250 kilogram World War II bomb discovered during railway construction in Rosenheim is due to be defused on Tuesday evening, prompting the evacuation of around 1,500 residents, BR reports.

The bomb was uncovered by Deutsche Bahn workers near Bauern in der Au, on Happinger-Au-Straße in the Happing district. The bomb disposal service is at the scene, and the city has cordoned off the location and convened its crisis team.

Residents within 500 metres of the find must leave their homes by 5 p.m. The city is issuing warnings through apps and loudspeaker vehicles, and Happing Primary School will serve as a meeting point from about 3:45 p.m.

Nearby roads and the railway line will be closed during the operation, with traffic disruption and train delays expected. Rosenheim city officials say they expect the defusing operation, planned between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., to proceed without problems.

Bombs have been found during construction work in the region before. A 250 kilogram bomb was defused in Rohrdorf in November 2022. A smaller bomb discovered during construction in Rosenheim in August that year led to the evacuation of 1,400 people.