Large parts of Dresden's Old Town were evacuated on Wednesday as experts sought to defuse an unexploded World War II bomb found during clearance work for a collapsed bridge.

Some 17,000 people were asked to leave their homes in the eastern German city, authorities said.

The affected area includes the famous Frauenkirche, a church that was rebuilt brick-for-brick after being destroyed in the war, as well as several hotels.

The Carola Bridge, one of Dresden's main Elbe river crossings, partly collapsed in the middle of the night in September 2024.

Employees of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Saxony leave the site after successfully defusing a World War II bomb that was found during the clean-up of the Carola Bridge the day before on August 6, 2025, in Saxony, Dresden. Robert Michael/p

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