WWII bomb to force evacuation around Berlin’s main station

BERLIN – German police say they will have to evacuate a large area of central Berlin including the city’s main train station on Friday to defuse a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) World War II bomb discovered during construction work.

Police in the German capital said Wednesday that all buildings in an 800-meter (875-yard) radius around the site will have to be evacuated Friday morning as a precaution. Apart from the railway station, the area also includes a hospital run by the German military and the economy ministry.

The operation will affect long-distance and commuter rail services passing through Berlin’s main station from 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) onward.

More than 70 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs are still being found during construction work in Germany, often requiring temporary evacuations.