Bundesliga team discovers ‘live WWII bomb’ during stadium renovations, prompting area evacuation.
An active World War II bomb has been found near Mainz’s Mewa Arena during renovation work, leading to the evacuation of approximately 3,500 people from the surrounding area. The 500-kilogram American aerial bomb will be defused on Friday, requiring a 750-metre evacuation area and causing potential traffic delays.
The bomb was discovered during the renovation of the Mewa Stadium, prompting Mainz to move their pre-match press conference to Thursday and ensure that their scheduled match against Koln on Sunday can proceed as planned. The discovery of the bomb in Mainz highlights the heavy bombing the city endured during WWII, with more than 30 air raids conducted by Allied and Soviet forces from 1942 to 1945.
Similar incidents of unexploded wartime devices have been reported in other countries, including England. Germany estimates that hundreds of millions of kilograms of weapons were dropped during the war, with many unexploded devices still remaining undiscovered.
Mainz, who are currently fighting to avoid relegation from the top flight of German football, have Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg and former West Ham midfielder Edimilson Fernandes in their playing squad. They are currently 15th in the league, 5 points above 17th-placed Koln with 4 matches remaining, and are level on points with VFL Bochum, who occupy the relegation play-off position.
These challenges add to the urgency and significance of dealing with the discovered bomb in Mainz.
