Leipzig (dpa/sn) - The World War II bomb found on a construction site in Leipzig was defused early Wednesday morning. "The defusing was successful and the restricted area has been lifted with immediate effect," wrote the Leipzig fire brigade on Twitter.
The explosive device weighing 100 kilograms was discovered on Tuesday morning near Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz during excavation work, according to the city administration. The place where it was found is right next to the main building of the Leipzig police headquarters and near the New Town Hall.
In the city center, an area around 600 meters around the site was cordoned off in the afternoon, and offices, apartments and shops were evacuated. "It affects the northern half and 7,500 residents," said a city spokesman in the evening.
