Munich police say the opening of the venue where Oktoberfest is taking place has been delayed because of possible connections to an explosion and fire at a house in the city, in which one person has died.
Mayor Dieter Reiter stated that the Theresienwiese would remain closed until at least 17:00 (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday due to a bomb threat. A large-scale emergency operation is currently underway in Lerchenau, northern Munich. Authorities reported a fire in a single-family home, and residents have mentioned hearing an explosion.
Police are also investigating possible links to other locations, including the festival site at Theresienwiese. For this reason, the opening of the festival grounds has been delayed, police confirmed. Oktoberfest runs from September 20 to October 5 and has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors, making it the world's largest folk and beer festival.
Investigations into the Lerchenau fire indicate that a residential building may have been deliberately set on fire as part of an ongoing family dispute. The injured individual found at the scene later died, and another person is missing but is not believed to pose any danger. It was reported that booby traps were located in the affected building, resulting in special forces being called in to defuse them. Multiple emergency personnel are currently at the site.
Mayor Dieter Reiter stated that the Theresienwiese would remain closed until at least 17:00 (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday due to a bomb threat. A large-scale emergency operation is currently underway in Lerchenau, northern Munich. Authorities reported a fire in a single-family home, and residents have mentioned hearing an explosion.
Police are also investigating possible links to other locations, including the festival site at Theresienwiese. For this reason, the opening of the festival grounds has been delayed, police confirmed. Oktoberfest runs from September 20 to October 5 and has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors, making it the world's largest folk and beer festival.
Investigations into the Lerchenau fire indicate that a residential building may have been deliberately set on fire as part of an ongoing family dispute. The injured individual found at the scene later died, and another person is missing but is not believed to pose any danger. It was reported that booby traps were located in the affected building, resulting in special forces being called in to defuse them. Multiple emergency personnel are currently at the site.
