After a few days of preparations, the German city of Frankfurt, Germany, was to defuse a 500 kg bomb from the Second World War on Sunday, demanding the evacuation of thousands of people from the area where the operation is taking place. Disarm the bomb for most of the day.
The unexploded bomb was of American origin and was discovered during construction work.
The authorities have identified a clearance area around the bomb disposal site, including the European Central Bank (ECB) and several hospitals and care facilities. The zoo in Frankfurt was also closed.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said 25 patients with coma were taken to care facilities outside the evacuation area and the procedure was "without problems".
About 16,500 people had to leave their homes before 8 am (0600 GMT) on Sunday.
Once the police make sure there are no people in the area, the experts will begin to defuse the bomb.
The munitions expert, René Bennett, said the actual deactivation of the bomb would last for four hours and included defusing the bomb remotely.
