A German bomb disposal unit was on-site in Dresden on Wednesday after a 250-kilogram Allied World War II bomb was uncovered at the bottom of the Elbe River.
The explosive device, understood to be British in origin, was found during demolition work on the collapsed Carola Bridge.
Authorities have secured the site, imposing a barrier zone of 1,000 meters, and the immediate vicinity has been evacuated.
The evacuation area includes the Saxony government buildings and the town hall, as well as multiple residential apartment buildings, schools, and elderly homes. The order is expected to be lifted by Thursday.
As reported by Sächsische Zeitung, police established red-and-white barriers around the Carola Bridge, and the nearby Brühl Terrace, initially crowded with onlookers, has been cleared.
Access roads around the site, including Terrassenufer and sections of Rathenauplatz, have been closed as precautionary measures.
The bomb, which still contains its detonator, poses a significant risk. Clearance service officials are inspecting whether it can be safely transported or if they will need to defuse it on-site.
Unexploded ordnances from World War II are occasionally uncovered during construction or excavation projects in the city that suffered devastating carpet bombing by the Allies in the final year of the war.
The RAF and its U.S. allies dropped approximately 4,000 tons of explosives on the eastern German city in a three-day assault that began on Feb. 13, 1945.
Authorities are urging residents and visitors to follow evacuation directives and avoid the area until the bomb has been safely dealt with.
