Huge evacuation in Bad Reichenhall: flying bomb discovered!

Huge evacuation in Bad Reichenhall: flying bomb discovered!

Bad Reichenhall, Bayern, Deutschland - in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, on May 14, 2025, an aviation bomb was discovered from the Second World War during excavation work. The bomb, which contains around 40 kilograms of explosives, has an intact detonator. Due to the danger situation, comprehensive evacuation was required that affected around 350 people, including residents and occupants of a nearby judiciary. The evacuation began on May 15, 2025 at 4 p.m., while around 150 emergency services, including the police, federal police, volunteer fire brigade as well as Maltese and Red Cross, were mobilized to make the defusing. Roads were blocked, and the rail traffic and airspace over the site were also restricted, as 5min.at reported.

duds, as they are also called, are bombs that are not detonated in the impact and are often discovered during construction work. According to Planet Wissen, several thousand such bombs are found in Germany, even decades after the end of the Second World War. For example, in 2018 in North Rhine-Westphalia, almost 3000 duds were discovered. The finding of this explosive body always entails an immediate evacuation of the environment, the blocking range of which can reach up to one kilometer depending on the situation of 50 meters. So also in Bad Reichenhall, where the security of the residents is at the top.

Definition and dangers

The defusing of blind passers is a complex and risky task. The bombs consist of a detonator and a bomb body that is often filled with TNT. Periods of ordnance use different techniques to minimize the dangers. In the case of simpler impact shells, the detonator can be turned out with a pipe tongs, while more complicated detonators with special devices such as the "rocket clamp" have to be processed. Long -term igniters that can potentially need decades to detonate are often processed with water jet cutting devices to avoid vibrations.

Another risk is that delays in the evacuation by persistent persons in the blocking area can endanger the defusing. Therefore, the ordnance disposal must wait for all uninvolved people to leave the danger area before they start defusing. In view of these challenges, the emergency services in Bad Reichenhall show a high degree of professionalism and commitment to ensure the safety of the population.

Further information about the risks and dealing with blind passers can also be found on Salzburg.orf.at, where similar incidents have been recorded in the past.