World War II-era bomb prompts evacuations in Cologne, Germany

April 24 (UPI) -- An ordnance disposal team defused a World War II-era bomb discovered Wednesday in Cologne, Germany, city officials said.

The discovery of the 440-to-880-pound bomb in the southern area of the city prompted the evacuation of about 2,500 people in a one-third-mile radius. The evacuation and street closures disrupted afternoon and evening traffic.

Officials re-opened the region around 7 p.m. after the disposal of the bomb.

Allied forces dropped the British bomb on the city during World War II. The undetonated bombs have been found throughout Germany decades after the end of the war.