The city announced that 18,000 people must leave the restricted area by 9 a.m. at the latest. Emergency accommodation will be available at the Dresden Trade Fair from 7 a.m. Additional buses and trams run there by the Dresden public transport company.

The investigation into two suspicious objects on the banks of the Elbe in Neustadt revealed on Tuesday that in one case it was a 250 kilogram British aerial bomb with a detonator. It will be defused as soon as the exclusion zone with a radius of 1,000 meters around the site has been cleared.

How do those affected get information?

The city said the population will be continually informed about the current status. Citizens can find out more on the city’s website. There are also updates via warning apps and on the social media channels of the city, the fire department and the police.

A citizen hotline has also been set up for queries. Those affected can call 0351 4887 666 on Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. People who cannot leave the evacuation area on their own and are dependent on help from rescue workers should also contact the citizen hotline.

Most of the city center is in the restricted area

The area around the site includes large parts of Dresden city center: the old town with the residential palace, Semper Opera and Frauenkirche as well as the Innere Neustadt south of Albertplatz. The police department, the state parliament, several ministries, old people’s and nursing homes, daycare centers and other social institutions are also located in the area.

Four bombs were discovered during the demolition work on the collapsed bridge last year. In August, 17,000 affected people were evacuated to defuse the situation.