May 25 (UPI) — German demolition experts defused a World War II era bomb Thursday, Dresden officials said, but not before a small explosion and fire.
The team worked two days to make the ordinance safe in the eastern city of Dresden after officials evacuated some 9,000 people living in the area.
Construction crews discovered the bomb Tuesday while excavating an intersection near two assisted living homes and a hospital.
The bomb squad destroyed the bomb’s detonator Wednesday, causing protective materials around the bomb to catch fire. The misstep didn’t cause any injuries.
“The situation is difficult and our specialists will only be able to return once the fire has gone out and the area has cooled down,” police said at the time.
Police lifted a safety cordon Thursday after the bomb was fully defused.
British and U.S. planes bombed Dresden in February 1945, killing about 25,000 people and destroying about 12 square miles of the city.
