Thousands of Parisians were evacuated from the northern suburb of Colombes on Sunday as bomb disposal experts rendered a World War Two bomb safe. Residents within a 450m radius of the device, discovered on April 10 during construction, were ordered to leave by 07:00 local time. Authorities decided to detonate the historic munition in situ with a controlled explosion after an initial attempt to remove its detonator failed. The operation was declared successful, and the evacuation order was lifted by Sunday evening.
Nearly 800 police officers enforced the evacuation zone, with reception centers established for displaced residents. Undetonated WWII bombs are still frequently found across Europe, posing significant risks, particularly in urban centers during construction.