The largest bomb-related evacuation since 1945 has begun in the German city of Cologne after the discovery of three US World War II bombs.
More than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from part of Cologne's city centre as specialists prepared to defuse the bombs that were unearthed earlier this week
Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany.
Authorities on Wednesday started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1000m radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre.
As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine - among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne's central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself.
Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended.
National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it's expecting "considerable restrictions in local and long-distance transport in North Rhine-Westphalia" due to disposal.
In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1500 to 2000 unexploded bombs from WWII are found every year. About 200 of these are larger devices, such as those found in Cologne, said Kai Kulschewski, the city's head of explosive ordnance disposal.
Like many of Germany's major cities, Cologne was heavily bombed during WWII.
with DPA