Berlin defuses 100-kilogram World War II bomb after evacuating 5,600 households in Neukölln

Discovery in the Neukölln canal

Specialists defused an unexploded 100-kilogram World War II aerial bomb in Berlin's Neukölln district late Wednesday evening. The explosive device was discovered around 10:40 during scheduled search operations for wartime ordnance on the bed of the Neuköllner Schifffahrtskanal. The discovery site sat in the water between Teupitzer Straße and Treptower Straße, only a few cross streets away from the heavily trafficked Sonnenallee. Crews hoisted the munition out of the water and secured it onto a floating pontoon before transferring it to the canal bank for technical inspection. Police officials noted that the exact origin of the unexploded munition, whether American, British, or Soviet, remained unconfirmed at the time of discovery.

Evacuation of 5,600 households

Authorities established a 500-meter exclusion zone around the canal site, affecting approximately 5,600 households across the surrounding residential blocks. Around 200 police officers deployed alongside teams from the Berlin Fire Department, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), and the German Red Cross. Officers went door to door to ensure flats were empty, while loudspeaker vehicles circulated on both sides of the canal and warnings were issued through the Katwarn mobile app. By shortly before 19:00, officers had visited 800 households, with roughly 1,000 homes evacuated as crews worked through large multi-story apartment buildings. Berlin transport operator BVG diverted bus routes M43, 171, and 166 away from the cordoned streets.

Special care arrangements and community response

The safety radius contained several sensitive institutions, including a daycare centre, a homeless shelter, and multiple care facilities. Rather than undergoing a full evacuation, residents at a local retirement home remained indoors and away from windows under an agreement reached with emergency authorities. Several individuals requiring specialized medical care had to be moved via patient transport ambulances, which extended the time needed to clear the perimeter. For displaced residents needing temporary shelter, the district established an emergency reception centre at the Adolf-Reichwein-Schule on Sonnenallee with capacity for 200 people. Many residents made independent arrangements, including families who relocated to stay with acquaintances in neighbouring Kreuzberg.

Defusal operations and safety clearance

Police spokesman Martin Halweg warned that any accidental explosion posed severe risk of serious injury or death to anyone lingering near the site. The defusal required final clearance from multiple agencies, including air traffic control authorities, before bomb technicians could begin their work on the canal bank. Technicians planned to neutralize the fuse using a specialized high-pressure water cutting system.

It works with a special sand that simply cuts out the detonator.

Shortly before deactivation began, police spokesman Florian Nath confirmed that the entire 500-meter zone had been emptied of civilians.

There are no more people in the 500-meter exclusion zone. The entire radius is now clear of people.

Technicians completed the defusal late Wednesday evening without incident. Police noted that World War II bomb discoveries remain common in Berlin, with multiple unexploded munitions retrieved from construction sites and waterways each year.