WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
More than 20,000 people were evacuated, but the bomb disposal operation in Cologne was delayed because only one person refused to leave his apartment. It was a success, German media reported.
After the biggest evacuation operation in Cologne since World War II, bomb disposal experts managed to defuse three large unexploded bombs. By 7:19 p.m., all bombs had been defused, Stern.de reports. Roads and bridges are now gradually reopening and residents can return to their homes.
Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker thanked everyone involved "who carried out the biggest evacuation operation in Cologne since 1945 with such exceptional professionalism."
More than 20,000 people had previously been evacuated from their homes within a 1,000-meter radius of the site in the Deutsch district. With the Cologne Cathedral Bridge, Germany's busiest railway bridge, also closed, rail traffic across the Rhine to Cologne Main Station was suspended.
240 employees of the Cologne Public Order Office were on duty, supported by colleagues from Bonn.
The fire brigade was on site with 451 employees, including numerous volunteers from aid organizations who drove a total of 282 ambulances. In addition, aid organizations were taking care of people in the exhibition center.
World War II bombs were found on Monday at the Deutsch shipyard, requiring the evacuation of an area of a kilometer. Around 20,500 people had to leave their homes, including a hospital and several nursing homes. Numerous hotels, restaurants and shops remained closed, while large companies sent their employees to work from home.
