Germany: More than 11,000 Berliners evacuated for WWII bomb disposal

Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighbourhood, Friday, as specialists attempted to defuse a World War II-era bomb found in the area. An estimated 11,500 were forced to leave their homes as some 400 emergency service personnel were brought to the site to aid the removal of the 250 kilogramme (551lbs) US bomb on Kreuzberg's Lindenstrasse. The residents reportedly have to stay out of their homes until 18:00 local time. The German Red Cross (DRK) and emergency services have taken the elderly and people with reduced mobility to wait at Kreuzberg's city hall. A similar bomb was successfully disarmed in central Berlin on Sunday, with police evacuating a ten block area in the Mitte and Kreuzberg districts.