Bomb in Munich forces 2,500 to seek shelter

Last night, 2500 residents in the Schwabing area of Munich were told they had to leave their homes.

After the discovery of an active World War II bomb at approximately 6 p.m., work began to secure the site and assess the situation. Around 800 residents evacuated the Münchner Freiheit area then, and this number increased to 2,500 at 10 p.m., when police decided to expand the evacuation zone. These residents were forced to spend the night in emergency shelters, many found refuge in the Katholischen Akademie and in local Gymnasium (highschools). The Rote Kreuz (Red Cross) set up beds and provided refreshments in the make-shift accommodation for those in need of a place to stay last night. A few of those affected were not overly pleased at the prospect of staying overnight in the provided quarters, especially those who had to get up early and go to work the next day. Others saw it simply as a inconvenient necessity.

Whilst the bomb is still active, Münchner Freiheit U-Bahn station is closed, along with buses and trams in the area. Leopoldstraße has been closed off to public access along with the following streets, Clemensstraße, Wilhelmstraße, Kaiserstraße, Fendstraße, Wagnerstraße, Werneckstraße, Ursulastraße, Haimhauserstraße, Hesseloher Straße, Marktstraße und Marschallstraße.