Heidenau residents evacuated after WWII bomb found in Elbe

Low water levels in the Elbe river have exposed a 250-kilogram World War II aerial bomb near Heidenau and Pratzschwitz in the Saxony region of Germany. The discovery prompted a large-scale emergency response, including the evacuation of approximately 3,800 residents within a 1,000-meter radius of the find.

Specialists successfully defused the bomb on Monday afternoon. Bomb disposal expert Andreas Dörfel reported that the team was able to manually remove two heavily deformed fuses, which were subsequently detonated on-site. Following the successful operation, police lifted the exclusion zone around 2:00 PM, allowing residents to return to their homes.

The bomb, described by police as being of Soviet design, was discovered by a water sports enthusiast. The incident highlights a recurring issue in the region, where receding river levels frequently reveal unexploded ordnance from the Second World War.