Frankfurt WW2 Bomb Defused after Mass Evacuation

Bomb disposal experts in Frankfurt have successfully defused a massive unexploded bomb from World War Two, officials have announced.

The news was greeted with spontaneous applause among some of about 65,000 people who were evacuated to enable experts to make the bomb safe.

Many residents are now awaiting permission to return to their homes.

The evacuation on Sunday morning was the biggest in post-war German history, involving hundreds of officials.

Police checked every designated house with heat-detection technology to make sure everyone was out.

The evacuation area in the Westend district included hospitals, nursing homes and Germany’s central bank.

There are believed to be hundreds of thousands of unexploded wartime bombs across Germany.

Police early on Sunday morning cordoned off the 1.5km (1 mile) evacuation area as residents carrying luggage vacated the danger zone. A few stragglers who were slow to move may be prosecuted, local media reported.

Many residents made the most of the day, either by visiting relatives or enjoying a day out in a different part of the city.

Police told local media that the evacuation took place on schedule even though a handful of residents - for various reasons - were not initially prepared to vacate the area.

The 1.4 tonne British bomb was found on a building site on Wednesday.