Thousands of people have been told to leave their homes in the Brandenburg town of Oranienburg near Berlin to allow for an unexploded World War II bomb to be defused. Transport in the region is also disrupted.
Around 6,300 people were ordered on Wednesday to leave the cordoned off area around a 250 kilogram unexploded bomb so it can be disposed of safely.
The bomb was discovered in the town, around 40 kilometres from Berlin, on Tuesday.
Checks to make sure that every person has left the zone were taking place on Wednesday morning, before work on disarming the bomb could begin. A drone had been deployed to survey the area.
Several roads have been closed in the town, in the Oberhavel district, and drivers have been urged to avoid the area.
The cordoned-off area includes Sachsenhausen railway station and its tracks. For this reason, regional services on the RE5 and RB12 lines between Oranienburg and Löwenberg are suspended until around 4pm. Deutsche Bahn is planning a rail replacement service for this period.
Tourists in Berlin and other areas who had planned to visit the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp – now a museum and memorial site – may be affected by the travel disruption.
The exclusion zone also includes schools, nurseries, sports facilities, the Schlosshafen with its associated caravan site, and parts of the Schlosspark. In addition, some shops on Bernauer Straße must remain closed. Bus services within Oranienburg are also restricted.
Officials said that from 1pm, the City Library on Schlossplatz will be available as a temporary drop-in centre for residents – however, it will not be possible to borrow books.
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