Cologne: RTL headquarters evacuated due to dangerous unexploded bombs

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RTL headquarters in Cologne

Photo: Guido Schiefer / epd / IMAGO

Legacy from wartime: Because an aerial bomb on the Rhine had to be defused, the headquarters of the television station RTL in Cologne was evacuated. A spokeswoman said broadcasting operations should continue.

"Therefore, we are moving our studio outside without further ado and will continue to broadcast live from outside the evacuation zone 'Point 12' and possibly also the later current RTL programs 'Explosiv' and 'Exclusiv' as well as ntv." Temporarily, the Berlin RTL studio will Direct all broadcasts.

The American ten hundredweight bomb was found that morning during dredging work in the Rhine. According to the city of Cologne, it should be placed on a pontoon and then transported to a port to defuse it.

In addition to RTL, other companies such as the insurance company HDI and the headquarters of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are also located within the 500 meter evacuation radius. Residents, on the other hand, are hardly affected. According to the city, shipping and rail traffic across the Hohenzollern Bridge must be stopped during the evacuation.

mamk/dpa