- The controlled detonation of a World War II bomb caused widespread damage in the southern German city of Regensburg on Wednesday.
- Some 4,500 residents were evacuated before the explosive was detonated. A munitions expert said the bomb couldn't be defused because the detonator was tamper-proof.
- That meant that the bomb needed to be set off, and that caused damage to several houses nearby.
The controlled detonation of an American World War II bomb in the southern German city of Regensburg caused widespread damage to nearby houses.
Some 4,500 residents had to be evacuated from the area before experts performed the detonation. A spokeswoman for the Bavarian city, Dagmar Obermeier-Kundel, said the 550-pound bomb shattered windows in several surrounding buildings early Wednesday. Photos also showed damaged roofs.
Munitions expert Andreas Heil told The Associated Press that the bomb couldn't be safely defused because the type of detonator it contained was tamper-proof, very sensitive, and could have triggered an explosion at any moment.
It was discovered during construction work Tuesday afternoon, according to local newspaper Mittelbayerische Zeitung.
The newspaper reported that a robot placed an explosive charge next to the bomb and it was detonated just before 5 a.m. local time. The blast is said to have been heard miles away.
Read more:8 famous buildings around the world that were rebuilt after devastating events
Thousands of unexploded relics of World War II's extensive aerial bombardment are found in Germany every year, even 74 years after the end of the war.
During World War II, Regensburg was the site of a Nazi aircraft factory and oil refinery. And while the city was bombed multiple times by the Allies, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, Regensburg didn't suffer much lasting damage. Its medieval city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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