BERLIN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Around 18,000 residents were allowed to return to their homes in Dresden on Wednesday after a World War II bomb discovered near the city center was successfully defused, according to local police.
Police issued the evacuation order late Tuesday, establishing a security zone with a radius of about 1,000 meters around the site along the Elbe River, where the bomb was discovered during surveys for the planned reconstruction of the Carola Bridge.
Several major landmarks were located within the restricted area, including the Dresden Castle, the Semperoper, and the Frauenkirche, as well as government buildings, nursing homes, and daycare centers.
Unexploded WWII bombs are still regularly discovered in Germany, particularly during construction work. Four such bombs were found last year during demolition work on the collapsed Carola Bridge, and around 17,000 people in Dresden were evacuated in August for another defusal operation.
