Three WWII bombs found in German city force massive evacuation operation

More than 20,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes on Wednesday in Germany after three World War II-era bombs were discovered. The operation would take the bomb squad hours to complete their task.

The three bombs were discovered during exploratory work in the German city of Cologne on Monday, resulting in what officials called the largest evacuation of the city since the end of World War II, the Associated Press reported.

According to a news release by city officials, two American 20-hundredweight bombs and one American 10-hundredweight bomb with impact fuses needed to be defused.

This operation prompted the evacuation of 20,500 residents from their homes in order to prepare for the operation.

TRUMP DECLARES MAY 8 AS ‘VICTORY DAY’ FOR WORLD WAR II: ‘GOING TO START CELEBRATING OUR VICTORIES AGAIN!’

Three World War II bombs were found in Cologne, Germany. Residents were evacuated before the bombs were defused. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)

The Düsseldorf district government’s explosive ordnance disposal service was activated to defuse the three 80-year-old bombs.

The evacuation also shut down numerous businesses, including the Eduardus Hospital, two retirement homes, the Cologne Messe/Deutz train station, schools and more.

Roadways were shut down and shipping lanes along the Rhine River were suspended.

Just after 7 p.m. local time, city officials posted on Facebook that the job was completed.

HUGE UNEXPLODED WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMB FOUND IN CROWDED PARIS RESIDENTIAL AREA

More than 20,000 residents needed to evacuate an area in Cologne, Germany, after three World War II bombs were found. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)

“The three World War II bombs in Deutz have been defused. At 7:19 p.m., the three unexploded bombs that had paralyzed large parts of the city were defused,” the post read. “The closed streets and bridges are now gradually being reopened, and residents can return to their homes or are being brought back by ambulance or shuttle buses.”

According to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Cologne was a frequent target for Allied air raids, with the first of 262 happening on a May 17, 1940, Royal Air Force bombing mission.

The defusing of the three World War II bombs took nearly 12 hours. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During that time, 770,000 residents evacuated the city, leaving about 20,000 or so behind.

The final bombardment was on March 2, 1945. American tanks entered the city a few days later.

Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.