An explosion close to a train station in Germany led to a temporary closure of the transport hub in Augsburg, a southern city, on Wednesday morning. Police later confirmed that a suspicious object found at the scene was harmless, and the station reopened at 10 a.m., with train services resuming.
Police spokesperson Timo Küfner stated that the object causing the initial closure was deemed safe, allowing for normal operations to resume. The incident, involving a minor explosion near the station at around 3:15 a.m., resulted in minor injuries to a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, both Ukrainian citizens.
Following the first explosion, a second suspicious object was discovered at the main train station, prompting authorities to shut down the station at 8:30 a.m. Explosives experts from the Bavarian state criminal police office were dispatched to investigate the scene.
According to Küfner, it was too early to determine a motive for the explosion, and investigations were ongoing. The disruption caused by the incident affected road traffic and public transportation in the vicinity of the station during the early morning hours.
Reports indicated that a hand grenade detonated in front of a jewelry store, suggesting that the train station was not the primary target. Augsburg, located in Bavaria, has a population of around 308,000 residents and is approximately 78 kilometers northwest of Munich.
This incident occurred shortly after the German government attributed a recent drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, resulting in heightened tensions between the two countries. Authorities discovered the drone with explosives near a Ukrainian plane, emphasizing the increasing security risks posed by such incidents. Accusations against Moscow for engaging in disruptive activities across Europe to destabilize nations and undermine support for Ukraine have been widespread among Western officials.