DRESDEN, Germany, March 11, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An unexploded World War II bomb was successfully defused in the German city of Dresden on Wednesday, police said, after it caused a huge evacuation operation.

The 250-kilogramme (550-pound) British bomb was found on Tuesday during work in the city centre to rebuild a bridge over the river Elbe that collapsed in 2024.

The discovery caused officials to evacuate 18,000 people on Wednesday, the largest such operation ever in the eastern German city, emergency services said.

More than 400 police along with other emergency services were deployed, backed up by a helicopter and a drone, to check that homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices were empty inside a one-kilometre radius of the device.

Later on Wednesday afternoon, police in the city said the device had been defused.

It said in a statement that bomb disposal specialists "removed the detonator of the bomb at 3:10 pm before exploding it", while the bomb itself was also removed from the site.

The evacuation zone will be opened again once a final safety check is completed, police said.

The bomb was discovered during clearance and construction work following the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in September 2024.

The evacuation affected major historic sites including the city's Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche church, as well as residential buildings, hotels and government offices.

Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies on February 13 and 14, 1945, killing up to 25,000 people and destroying large parts of the old town known for its Baroque architecture.

World War II bombs were previously found and defused at the bridge site in January and August 2025, with thousands of people affected each time.