Authorities in Cologne said this was the largest evacuation of the city since World War II. Unexploded ordnance has commonly been found across Europe.

Thousands of people were being evacuated from central Cologne in western Germany on Wednesday after three American bombs from World War II, each with impact fuses, were discovered during construction work on Monday in Deutz.

The German city of Cologne is moving 20,500 people in its largest evacuation since World War II, after officials discovered three massive, unexploded bombs.