An explosion in close proximity to a train station in Germany triggered a temporary closure of the transportation hub in the southern city of Augsburg on Wednesday morning. Authorities later confirmed that a suspicious object found was harmless, leading to the station reopening at 10 a.m. and resuming train services.
Police spokesperson Timo Küfner informed The Associated Press that the object discovered in front of the main train station posed no threat, allowing for the station’s reopening. Trains were back in operation following the incident.
The explosion, caused by an unidentified object in a passageway near the station at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time, resulted in minor injuries to a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, both Ukrainian citizens, according to German news agency dpa.
Subsequently, another suspicious object, which did not detonate, was found at the main train station, prompting the station’s closure at 8:30 a.m. Explosives experts from the Bavarian state criminal police office were dispatched to investigate the scene.
Authorities refrained from speculating on a motive for the explosion, stating that investigations were ongoing. The disruption affected road traffic and public transportation in the vicinity of the station during the early hours.
Reports indicated that a hand grenade exploded in front of a jewelry store early in the morning, with the train station not being the primary target. Augsburg, a city with a population of 308,000 residents in Bavaria, is situated approximately 78 kilometers northwest of Munich.
The incident follows the German government’s recent attribution of an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, involving a drone loaded with explosives. Germany’s response included the closure of a Russian consulate and other measures against Moscow.
Accusations against Moscow by Western officials for orchestrating disruptive activities across Europe, aiming to weaken support for Ukraine and sow instability in European nations, have been widespread.
