Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War II-era bomb discovered in the Rhine river.

City officials said Sunday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT.

It's one of Germany's biggest bomb-related evacuations since the war ended.

The British 1.8 ton bomb could cause massive damage if it exploded. It was found last week alongside a 275-pound U.S. bomb after the Rhine's water level fell due to lack of rain. Both bombs are to be defused.

Finding unexploded bombs dropped by the Allies over Germany is common even more than 60 years after the conflict.

Source: SFGate

Two-ton WWII bomb Pictures

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