During construction work adjacent to the site of the Old Jewish Cemetery World Heritage Site on Paul-Denis-Straße in the Hartenberg-Münchfeld district, a 500-kilogram British World War II bomb was discovered on Tuesday afternoon (July 2, 2024). The Rhineland-Palatinate Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service, the police, and the fire department, who were immediately notified, inspected the bomb and decided that the unexploded ordnance must be defused on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The British aerial bomb still has an intact fuse, which is currently difficult to access and will require additional preparatory measures by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service on the day of defusing.

An evacuation will be necessary for the defusing; the evacuation radius will be approximately 500 meters around the discovery site, as determined jointly with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service. Approximately 9,500 people are affected. The evacuation must be completed by 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

Please refer to the map for the areas to be evacuated. These areas are subject to a complete evacuation. The list of all affected streets and house numbers is included in the appendix and can also be viewed on the City of Mainz website, www.mainz.de.

In addition, there will be significant disruptions due to road closures on Mombacher Straße, Wallstraße, Fritz-Kohl-Straße, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring, and Goethestraße, as well as in rail and bus service. We recommend that all individuals in the affected areas arrange for an alternative place to stay for Thursday, July 4, 2024. Transportation options, a citizen hotline, and a support center will be made available as soon as possible for those in need of assistance. For further information, please check the City of Mainz website, as well as additional press releases, the City of Mainz’s social media channels, and the information in the warning apps.

Note for media representatives: There is a risk to life within the secured perimeter around the discovery site. Therefore, it is not possible to take or obtain any images of the unexploded ordnance. On Thursday, a mobile press office will be set up at the perimeter of the cordoned-off area for the duration of the evacuation and defusing operation. The exact location is expected to be announced via press release on Wednesday. Once the defusing operation is complete, photos of the defused bomb with the bomb disposal experts will be permitted.

During construction work adjacent to the site of the Old Jewish Cemetery World Heritage Site on Paul-Denis-Straße in the Hartenberg-Münchfeld district, a 500-kilogram British World War II bomb was discovered on Tuesday afternoon (July 2, 2024). The Rhineland-Palatinate Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service, the police, and the fire department, who were immediately notified, inspected the bomb and decided that the unexploded ordnance must be defused on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

An evacuation will be necessary for the defusing; the evacuation radius will be approximately 500 meters around the discovery site, as determined jointly with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service. Approximately 9,500 people are affected. The evacuation must be completed by 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

For those affected by the evacuation who have no other place to go, the Am Großen Sand sports hall, located at Obere-Kreuzstraße 9-13 in Mainz-Mombach, will be available starting at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Aid organizations will be on site to provide support.

In addition, the City of Mainz’s citizen hotline is now active. Citizens can contact the hotline with questions and concerns; people who, due to advanced age or mobility impairments, are unable to evacuate on their own can also contact the hotline to receive assistance with transportation to the evacuation site.

Citizen hotline number: 06131 12 4634

A wall of large sandbags is currently being erected at the site. This measure will limit the evacuation radius to 500 meters. Due to the location of the World War II bomb, the radius would otherwise be significantly larger, which the fire department and the explosive ordnance disposal team wish to avoid.

The City of Mainz website, www.mainz.de, is being continuously updated with information; please also use this information source.

As previously reported, a 500-kilogram British World War II bomb was discovered on Tuesday afternoon (July 2, 2024) during construction work adjacent to the site of the Old Jewish Cemetery, a World Heritage Site, on Paul-Denis-Straße in the Hartenberg-Münchfeld district. The Rhineland-Palatinate Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service, the police, and the fire department, who were immediately notified, inspected the bomb and decided that the unexploded ordnance must be defused on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

Work is in full swing on a nearly three-meter-high protective wall made of approximately 120 tons of sand, which limits the evacuation radius to 500 meters. A command staff is working, together with numerous agencies, authorities, and companies, on a large-scale operation on Thursday involving well over 300 personnel. Fire and disaster response teams as well as police will be on duty.

Due to the closures, including those affecting rail and local public transportation, there will be massive traffic disruptions as early as Thursday morning. The public is urgently asked to avoid the evacuation area as well as the Old and New Towns.

In cooperation with Mainzer Mobilität, a free bus shuttle will be provided for all evacuees to the main train station and the care center (Sporthalle Am Großen Sand) from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The schedule is available in the attachment and on the special page at www.mainz.de.

The public is urged not to call emergency services with questions regarding the evacuation or traffic measures. Although a public information hotline has been set up, numerous calls of this nature were made to emergency services, blocking the lines for genuine emergencies. Please use the public information hotline at 06131-12 46 34.

It should also be noted that defusing the bomb cannot begin until the entire evacuation area has been checked. Any delays caused by failure to evacuate by 9 a.m. will prolong the operation. It is not possible to predict how long the defusing process itself will take, as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team must still carry out preparations for defusing the bomb directly at the site after the evacuation is complete.

For members of the press:

A mobile press office will be set up starting Thursday at 8 a.m. in front of the Mainz Police Headquarters (Valenciaplatz 2, 55118 Mainz). Media representatives will find contact persons available there. Only from this location can you accompany the ground teams on their inspection walk after the area has been cordoned off. You will also be escorted from there to the discovery site after the—hopefully successful—defusing, where Mayor Günter Beck, emergency personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team will be available for on-the-spot interviews. Please note that on Thursday, only public parking spaces on Goethestraße will be available.

We ask that all individuals planning to come to the mobile press office register in advance so that we can plan our resources accordingly. Please send informal registrations to sarah.heilstadt.mainzde. We are currently unable to send a confirmation; we appreciate your understanding.

The City of Mainz website, www.mainz.de, is being continuously updated with information; please also make use of this information source.

The defusing of the aerial bomb, scheduled for today, Thursday, at the site where it was found on Paul-Denis-Straße, was successful. The evacuation of the danger zone proceeded largely without incident. The City of Mainz thanks all aid organizations, the police, companies, government agencies, and the public for their support.

As reported, a 500-kilogram British World War II bomb was discovered on Tuesday afternoon (July 2, 2024) during construction work adjacent to the site of the Old Jewish Cemetery, a World Heritage Site, on Paul-Denis-Straße in the Hartenberg-Münchfeld district.

At 2:10 p.m., the explosive ordnance disposal team reported success: The bomb had been defused. Shortly after 12:20 p.m., the fire department, in coordination with the police and the City of Mainz’s Public Order Office, had cleared the cordoned-off and evacuation area. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit began the complex defusing of the approximately 500-kilogram aerial bomb from World War II. Despite its challenging position, work on the bomb proceeded without complications.

The cordoning-off measures are now being gradually lifted. Return trips by bus are being organized from the temporary shelter in Mainz-Mombach. Individuals who need assistance returning will receive it from the emergency services. The public hotline is available for questions at 06131 - 12 46 34 until 3:00 p.m. Over 1,000 calls have been recorded so far.

Work began as early as Wednesday on constructing a three-meter-high protective wall made of 120 tons of sand around the discovery site to limit the evacuation radius to 500 meters. Nevertheless, on Thursday morning, approximately 9,500 people had to leave the area designated for evacuation for safety reasons or were not permitted to enter. Vocational schools, hotels, businesses, and the SWR remained closed. In addition, over 80 people who were unable to leave the evacuation zone on their own were transported by aid organizations to appropriate shelters.

The Mainz Fire Department’s command staff coordinated this large-scale operation in collaboration with numerous government offices, authorities, aid organizations, and businesses. Over 300 personnel from the police, law enforcement, and fire and disaster response services had been monitoring the clearance and evacuation zone since early morning with 36 ground teams. In addition, a police helicopter was deployed over the area to ensure the evacuation proceeded safely. Overall, the evacuation went smoothly. Most people encountered after 9 a.m. cooperated willingly. Only a few individuals had to be persuaded by law enforcement officers. Traffic disruptions on roads and railways remained within expected limits.

Mayor Günter Beck praised the level-headed behavior of Mainz’s citizens and thanked everyone involved for working together to ensure that there were no unnecessary delays.

Operations Commander Stefan Behrendt (Mainz Fire Department) thanked all emergency personnel for the focused and seamless cooperation between the fire and disaster response teams, law enforcement, the police, emergency medical services, and all participating agencies and departments.

Behrendt: "The tremendous dedication of the predominantly volunteer emergency responders and the seamless cooperation of the entire emergency services community were the keys to our success. I would also like to express my sincere thanks for the support provided by personnel from Wiesbaden and Rheinhessen."

The following emergency services were on the scene:

ASB, DRK, DLRG, Johanniter, Malteser, THW, emergency pastoral care, the Mainz Volunteer Fire Department, the Professional Fire Department, the police (state and riot police), and law enforcement.

At around 6:50 p.m. this Thursday evening, a caller reported heavy smoke coming from a restaurant on Neutorstraße that was still closed at the time. Since the thick smoke also posed a threat to residents of several apartments located above the restaurant, the alarm level was raised and additional fire department units were dispatched even before the first responders arrived. On site, a fire was burning on the ground floor of a restaurant, producing heavy smoke. In addition to firefighting efforts, several breathing apparatus teams and the fire department’s turntable ladder were deployed to check the apartments on the upper floors. A total of four people were evacuated to safety by the fire department; one additional person had already made their way outside on their own before the fire department arrived. One person suffered minor smoke inhalation and was treated on-site by emergency medical services. Since the smoke had spread to a neighboring establishment via a shared basement, extensive and time-consuming smoke extraction measures were required following the successful fire suppression efforts. In addition to personnel from both stations of the professional fire department, the volunteer fire departments of Mainz-Stadt, Weisenau, and Hechtsheim were also deployed for this purpose. The unmanned stations of the professional fire department were staffed during this time by the volunteer fire departments of Mombach, Bretzenheim, Marienborn, and Weisenau. While manning the stations, these units had to extinguish a wildfire in Finthen, with support from the Finthen Volunteer Fire Department. Around 10:00 p.m., the fire department’s operation on Neutorstraße was concluded, and the police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

At 6:20 p.m. today, alert neighbors contacted the fire department dispatch center to report a beeping smoke alarm and smoke coming from a residential and commercial building in Mainz’s Old Town.

The fire department dispatch center then alerted units from both stations of the professional fire department as well as the Mainz-Stadt Volunteer Fire Department. Upon arrival, the emergency crews were fully briefed on the situation; the building’s front door had already been opened for the firefighters. Thanks to the quick deployment of the turntable ladder, the apartment could be accessed through a tilted balcony door.

Inside the smoke-filled apartment, the one-year-old beagle immediately ran up to the emergency responders in a friendly manner and was quickly rescued to safety outside. Outside, the neighbors kindly took care of “Frank” while the fire department cleared the smoke from the apartment using a fan. The cause of the smoke was food that had burned on the stove.

After the operation, "Frank" ran toward his rescuers with his tail wagging, as if to thank them. His rescuers acknowledged this with some petting. In addition to "Frank," the owners’ son, who had rushed over, also thanked the fire department.

The Mainz Fire Department praised the neighbors’ exemplary behavior and pointed out that smoke alarms can also save dogs’ lives.

Within an hour, the fire department dispatch center responded to nine calls within the city limits of Mainz. Firefighters then responded almost simultaneously to two activated private smoke alarms, three fire alarm systems, three manhole covers that had been washed loose, and a water leak in a basement.

Normally, the shift change for the professional fire department’s personnel takes place at 7:00 a.m.—but not today. Due to the simultaneous volume of calls, the relieved crews from both fire stations had to man the vehicles again and respond. Around 8:15 a.m., the firefighters were finally able to end their shift.

In addition to the professional fire department, the Hechtsheim Volunteer Fire Department, emergency medical services, and the police were also on the scene.

On Sunday afternoon, shortly after 3 p.m., the Mainz Fire Department was called to a reported room fire in Mainz’s Neustadt district. Upon arrival, the emergency responders were met by the residents affected.

In an exemplary move, the apartment key was handed directly to the incident commander, and the crucial information that no one was left inside the apartment was relayed.

The smoke vent had also already been activated by the fleeing residents before the fire department arrived. This is a very important measure, as it opens a vent or window on the top floor of the stairwell, preventing the stairwell from filling with smoke.

A balcony on the third floor was on fire. The facade had to be opened for inspection to ensure the fire was not continuing to burn unnoticed there. Several apartments were filled with smoke due to the fire, so residents could not return to their homes until after the fire department had conducted an inspection. The affected apartment, whose balcony had burned, was rendered uninhabitable by smoke and heat.

No information can be provided regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage; this is being investigated by the police.

In addition to the professional fire department, units from the Stadt and Weisenau volunteer fire departments were on the scene. The police and emergency medical services were also present with two ambulances, and the Mainz-Hechtsheim branch of the German Red Cross (DRK) was on site with one ambulance. A total of approximately 40 emergency personnel were involved in the operation.

A fire broke out in an apartment in a student residence in Mainz-Gonsenheim around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night. The resident alerted the fire department and, in an exemplary manner, warned her neighbors. An internal fire alarm system also triggered the evacuation alarm in the building.

When the first responders arrived, the woman who reported the fire made herself known, handed her key to the emergency crews, and explained how the fire department could reach her apartment. Thanks to her exemplary actions, the fire department saved valuable time during the initial assessment. The building had already been completely evacuated by that point.

The fire in the one-bedroom apartment, which broke out in the kitchenette area, was quickly extinguished by a crew wearing breathing apparatus. After the subsequent ventilation measures were completed, everyone was able to return to their apartments. Only the apartment where the fire had broken out could not be reoccupied. The resident found temporary lodging with a friend. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Subsequently, the scene was handed over to a building technician, who is now overseeing all further steps.

The Mainz Professional Fire Department responded with personnel from Fire Stations 1 and 2, the Gonsenheim Volunteer Fire Department with a total of 6 vehicles and 23 personnel, the emergency medical services with 1 vehicle, and the police with a patrol car.

The fire department was called by the police today at around 5:30 p.m. to respond to an incident in the parking garage of the State Theater in Mainz. An unknown substance was sprayed by an unidentified person. It is believed to be tear gas. Five people sustained minor injuries. After being examined and treated by emergency medical services on site, all those affected were released and did not need to be taken to the hospital. Firefighters inspected the underground parking garage and thoroughly ventilated it. Measurements taken with a multi-gas detector revealed no abnormalities in the underground parking garage.

On site were the fire department’s command staff and a firefighting unit, the health sector command with the lead emergency physician and the organizational head of the emergency medical services, along with numerous emergency vehicles and the police.

Shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning, the Mainz Fire Department received a report of a fire in a high-rise building in Mainz’s Oberstadt district.

An apartment on the 11th floor was on fire for reasons that remain unclear. At that time, the fire department control center and the police received several emergency calls regarding the fire, some of which mentioned missing persons. The control center subsequently dispatched a large enough contingent of personnel to the scene.

Upon arrival, emergency responders confirmed that a fire was burning in an apartment on the 11th floor. One of the callers had managed to escape the building on their own and was immediately handed over to emergency medical services for care. The fire department evacuated seven additional people from the affected floor to safety. The emergency medical services, in coordination with the Health Division and the SEG Care unit, provided care to the individuals; no one had to be transported to the hospital by the emergency medical services. By approximately 3:45 a.m., the fire was extinguished, and the fire department began cleanup operations. For instance, emergency responders immediately mopped up water that had leaked from a broken water pipe in the apartment where the fire occurred to prevent extensive water damage.

After the operation, all residents were able to return to their apartments; only the apartment where the fire occurred is uninhabitable. The police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

During the operation, the vacant stations of the professional fire department were staffed by personnel from the volunteer fire departments. The operation concluded around 6:00 a.m.

Eighty-five firefighters and 25 emergency medical personnel were on the scene. Several police officers were also present. Incident Commander: Operations Officer Mr. Jüliger