WWII-era bomb explodes in Munich, leaving four injured

The explosion of a World War II era bomb at a construction site shook the streets of Munich and injured four people, leaving one in critical condition, the city’s fire department reported.

The bomb went off close to the Donnersberger Bridge and could be heard from miles away.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann visited the site and reported that the 250-kilogram “aerial bomb” went off during tunnel work near the bridge. Local reports describe a loud blast followed by a column of smoke, German news outlet DPA reported.

"This must be investigated: why did no-one spot this bomb earlier?,” Herrmann told German media.

Large construction projects in Munich regularly take considerable care in checking for war-time ordnances.

Rail traffic to and from the station, one of the busiest in Germany, was temporarily suspended, but service was resumed hours later.

“Our technical commissioner is now investigating in the #Donnersbergerbrücke area, and there is also some clean-up work taking place. Currently, 4 long-distance tracks are running again. The main route remains blocked. Further information will be published later in our press release,” the Bavarian Police reported in a Tweet.

Im Bereich der #Donnersbergerbrücke ermittelt nun unser Fachkomissariat, ebenso finden noch Aufräumarbeiten statt.

Aktuell sind 4 Ferngleise wieder freigegeben. Die Stammstrecke bleibt noch gesperrt.

Alle Infos zum Einsatz werden später in unserem Pressebericht veröffentlicht.

— Polizei München (@PolizeiMuenchen) December 1, 2021

Several undetonated bombs have been found in Germany in the 76 years since the war ended, often during construction projects.

When found, these bombs are usually unarmed or eliminated through controlled explosions, a process that involves large-scale evacuations as a precautionary measure.