site.btaMinistry of Foreign Affairs Warns for Large-Scale Evacuation in Central Cologne Due to Unexploded WWII Bombs

A warning has been issued to Bulgarian citizens by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday regarding a large-scale evacuation in the centre of the German city of Cologne due to unexploded bombs from the Second World War.

According to the MFA’s Situation Centre, an evacuation zone with a 1,000-m radius has been established, and nearly 20,000 people have already been evacuated from the area. There is no information yet about when the imposed measures will be lifted. The ministry notes that the local authorities are publishing regular updates at the following address: www.stadt-koeln.de/evakuierung.

Downtown Cologne is closed, rail traffic has been rerouted, and three bridges over the Rhine River, Severinsbrücke, Deutzer Brücke, and Hohenzollernbrücke, have been closed, the statement further says.

Train services on the southern railway line toward the central station and Messe/Deutz station have been suspended. A number of municipal institutions have also been closed: the Deutz town hall, churches, nine schools, kindergartens, hotels, concert halls, and other event venues, as well as Cologne’s Old Town.