Enlarge image
Police officers block a street in Berlin
Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa
In Berlin, the security measures to defuse a 250 kilogram aircraft bomb from the Second World War have begun.
Since early in the morning, people from a restricted zone within 500 meters of the Jewish hospital in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen have been brought to safety, as a police spokeswoman said on Sunday.
A total of 400 officials go from door to door and make sure that all residents have left their homes.
Around 15,000 people are affected by the precautions.
As soon as the area is secured, work to defuse the bomb is to begin.
How long the measures will last could not be foreseen at first.
The Jewish hospital and the DRK clinics will also be cleared on Sunday.
Those who can were called to spend the third Advent with friends and family members.
Everyone else should be at assembly points on the edge of the exclusion zone by 11.30 a.m.
From there, shuttle buses are supposed to take them to emergency shelters.
Separate accommodations for people with Covid-19
The authorities say it is not possible to bring pets into the accommodations.
There are separate accommodation options for people who have tested positive for the coronavirus or who are in quarantine.
In a press release, the Berlin district office in Mitte warns of expected traffic restrictions and advises motorists to drive around the area and park vehicles outside the restricted zone.
Local public transport in the area will be suspended during the deployment.
Anyone who stays within the restricted area during the defusing is putting their lives in danger.
The World War II bomb was found on November 19 on the grounds of the Jewish Hospital.
According to the city, the preparations for the evacuation had taken several weeks.
mak / dpa