In what is considered to be the second largest German post-war operation ever, around 50,000 residents of Hanover will be evacuated Sunday while a bomb disposal squad works to defuse five unexploded bombs from World War Ii.

Five unexploded WWII bombs uncovered in Hanover

The Local reports that fire department officials had confirmed the existence of the five unexploded World War II bombs in several locations in the Lower Saxon capital. Besides many homes, a clinic, a Continental tire plant and seven elderly and care homes will also be evacuated for safety.

City officials have reported that evacuations will start at 9 a.m. Sunday and they expect the evacuated Hanover residents to be able to return that evening. However, all residents were advised to take with them any necessary items, including medication and to turn off gas and electrical appliances before evacuating.

Reportedly the bomb disposal operation will also impact train travel in the area, as many trains will not be able to stop at the central train station after early afternoon. Officials warned passengers of the fact that they may have to make additional transfers during their journey and should expect longer travel times.

Evacuees from Hanover to be kept entertained while the bombs are defused

Deutsche Welle reports that, to keep things interesting, officials have reportedly planned several athletic and cultural activities for residence affected by the evacuation, including film viewing for children, a seniors’ gaming afternoon and museum tours.

Helpers will be coming in from all over the state to aid the bomb disposal experts and to ensure things run smoothly. Hundreds of ambulances are to be on hand, and reportedly plenty of soup will be made available to all concerned.

Bombs found all over Germany since WWII

Officials are finding unexploded bombs all over Germany, even though it is 70 years since the Second World War ended. Hanover is particularly affected, as it was often targeted by Allied Forces during the war. Reportedly the worst attack on the city in World War II was launched on October 9th, 1943, when Allied Forces dropped 261,000 bombs on to Hanover, leaving 250,000 people homeless, and 1,245 people dead.

After an accident involving the defusing of a bomb in Göttingen in 2010, residents of the area understand the importance of maintaining a safety zone. In that incident, three weapons experts were killed and six people were injured, some seriously.

Second largest evacuation in Germany since WWII

The latest operation is only the second largest evacuation since the end of the Second World War, with the largest taking place in Augsburg on Christmas Eve 2016. At that time 54,000 people were evacuated after the discovery of a 3.8-ton British bomb was made during construction work.