Hanover, Germany – German authorities are conducting one of the largest bomb disposal operations since World War II.

More than 50,000 residents in the northwestern German city are obliged to evacuate their homes.

The evacuation process started on Friday evening with seven care home residents and hospital patients being the first to be removed from the area.

Bomb disposal experts had initially checked as many as 13 suspicious objects in the area, but reports suggest only five were considered possible bombs.

Evacuation was set to start Sunday morning at 9:00 am local time, to last till Sunday night.

Allied planes bombed Hannover heavily during World War Two, killing thousands and destroying much of the city.

In 1943 – 1,245 people were killed and 250,000 left homeless by 261,000 bombs.

The city of Hanover prepared a series of events at museums, theaters and other public venues for evacuees to pass the time during the disposal operation.