Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Blast Wounds Two As Augsburg Station Resumes Service Arabian Post


(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) clearfix">Augsburg's main railway station reopened on Wednesday after an overnight explosion nearby injured two people and a later suspicious-object alert forced police to halt train services and evacuate the transport hub.

Police said an unidentified object exploded at about 3.15am in a passageway of a building close to the station in the southern German city, causing minor injuries to a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man. Both were Ukrainian citizens, according to Bavarian police.

The two suffered blast-related hearing injuries, while windows in the surrounding building were damaged. Police have not publicly identified the device that exploded and said the cause and motive remained under investigation.

Several hours after the blast, officers found another object near the entrance to Augsburg Hauptbahnhof, prompting a major security operation. The station was fully closed at about 8.30am, with regional and long-distance trains stopped while explosives specialists examined the item.

Police later determined that the second object was harmless and lifted the closure at around 10am. Rail services then began operating again, although passengers were warned that delays and cancellations could continue after the disruption.

Augsburg police spokesperson Timo Küfner said the all-clear had been given once specialists established that the item found outside the main station posed no danger. He said investigators were still working to establish what caused the earlier explosion.

Explosives experts from Bavaria's State Criminal Police Office were deployed to support the investigation, while police cordoned off areas around the station and the nearby building passageway. Officers did not announce any arrests or identify a suspect.

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The blast occurred in a mixed-use building near the station containing businesses and medical practices. Authorities have not confirmed claims circulating in German media that the explosive device may have been a hand grenade, and police have cautioned that the precise nature of the object remained unclear.

The station closure affected both regional services and Intercity Express trains, including connections running through Augsburg on the Ulm-Munich corridor. Deutsche Bahn said passengers could face lingering timetable disruption even after the station reopened.

Road traffic and local public transport around the station were also disrupted during the police operation. Those restrictions were later eased as officers reduced the security perimeter and normal movement through the area resumed.

The shutdown lasted roughly an hour and a half and interrupted services using the station. Police said the second object was discovered during the security response that followed the first blast, leading officers to treat the find cautiously until specialists could inspect it. The cordon extended beyond rail platforms into surrounding streets, affecting buses, trams and vehicles near the city centre. Once the item was declared harmless, police reopened access and Deutsche Bahn resumed train movements. Investigators continued securing evidence from the passageway where the explosion occurred, while authorities urged the public to rely on updates as inquiries into the device, its origin and circumstances of its placement continued.

The investigation is focused on the circumstances of the explosion and whether the device was deliberately placed in the passageway. Police have not indicated that the railway station itself was the intended target, and no evidence establishing a wider threat has been made public.

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Authorities also have not linked the explosion to other security incidents elsewhere in Germany. The absence of an identified motive has led police to keep several possibilities open while forensic teams examine the scene and any recovered material.

The incident unfolded during the early morning before the station reached peak commuter traffic, but the later discovery of the second object triggered a broader precautionary response because of its proximity to the main entrance and the volume of passengers using the hub.

Emergency and police units maintained a visible presence around Augsburg Hauptbahnhof as specialists completed their checks. Public announcements instructed passengers to leave the station, and access points were temporarily sealed while the suspicious item was assessed.

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The Arabian Post

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