Hi,
Returned from my holiday in Minden a few days ago, having a "memorable" first day there.
My partner and I arrived mid-afternoon on Monday 28th of July and went straight from the train station to her mother's house.
After 20 minutes a woman passing in the street said "haven't you heard? We are all to be evacuated; a bomb has been found!"
I thought that this may have been a practical joke from my German friends, but shortly after a fire engine with lights flashing came by, announcing the imminent evacuation through loudspeakers.
Then the police came, knocking on every door and handing out letters explaining the pickup points for evacuees who were to be ferried from the area by public transport.
Family members attempted to pick us up by car, but all roads were sealed off by the police or fire services, so we went to the nearest pick-up point and were taken to a school a few miles away by bus.
2500 people were eventually taken to the school, and 5600 people were evacuated in a 700 metre exclusion zone while the bomb was defused by an expert from the Fire Brigade.
Finally got to bed at 5:00am in the morning, having been a guest of the DRK and St. John's Ambulance for around ten hours.
Brilliant work from the Fire Brigade, Red Cross, St. John's and the Police - a united, seamless effort in an unexpected emergency!
Plenty in the local press, and "Minden Bomb" on YouTube!
Best wishes,
John.
Returned from my holiday in Minden a few days ago, having a "memorable" first day there.
My partner and I arrived mid-afternoon on Monday 28th of July and went straight from the train station to her mother's house.
After 20 minutes a woman passing in the street said "haven't you heard? We are all to be evacuated; a bomb has been found!"
I thought that this may have been a practical joke from my German friends, but shortly after a fire engine with lights flashing came by, announcing the imminent evacuation through loudspeakers.
Then the police came, knocking on every door and handing out letters explaining the pickup points for evacuees who were to be ferried from the area by public transport.
Family members attempted to pick us up by car, but all roads were sealed off by the police or fire services, so we went to the nearest pick-up point and were taken to a school a few miles away by bus.
2500 people were eventually taken to the school, and 5600 people were evacuated in a 700 metre exclusion zone while the bomb was defused by an expert from the Fire Brigade.
Finally got to bed at 5:00am in the morning, having been a guest of the DRK and St. John's Ambulance for around ten hours.
Brilliant work from the Fire Brigade, Red Cross, St. John's and the Police - a united, seamless effort in an unexpected emergency!
Plenty in the local press, and "Minden Bomb" on YouTube!
Best wishes,
John.
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