An unidentified object exploded at a train station in the German city of Augsburg, Bayern, on early Wednesday morning leaving at least two injured.
The object, which German media later reported as a hand grenade, exploded at 3:15am local time in front of a Turkish jeweller.
The newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine reports the explosion occurred around 03:15 a.m. in a building passageway at Augsburg’s main train station. The newspaper identified the two victims as a 17 and 18-year-old young adults, who both suffered blast trauma as a result of the explosion, who are now being treated for acoustic trauma.
Augsburger Allgemeine detailed that a bank and a Turkish jewelry store are located at the passageway where the explosion occurred. A major police operation was deployed at the station since the early morning hours. Local police officers have reportedly abstained from commenting further on the matter.
“Attention: Evacuation! Please leave the station immediately via the Post Tunnel!” reads a message on a monitor at Augsburg Central Station. Following an explosion near Augsburg Central Station, police have found a suspicious object. According to police, access to the station is currently completely blocked off, and train service has been suspended. Felix Kirberg/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The nature of the explosive object and the circumstances behind the incident remain undetermined as of Wednesday morning. Unconfirmed statements received by Augsburger Allgemeine reportedly claim that the explosive object may have been a hand grenade.
Schwaben North Police informed that a second suspicious object was found. As such, the entire Augsburg train station was closed around 08:00 a.m. (local Germany time) and all passengers evacuated. Per Augsburger Allgemeine, the main train station began to reopen around two hours later, with train traffic resuming shortly afterwards.
Police spokesman Michael Niefenecker nevertheless reportedly explained that the investigation could take “several hours” which will cause parts of nearby streets to remain closed.
Die Welt reports that Germany’s State Criminal Police Office (LKA) went on site with an explosives expert and a bomb-disposal robot while police officers conducted a search of the area with the help of surveillance drones. The newspaper Bild detailed that police are investigating if there is a connection within the incident and organized crime.
“The main station was apparently not the destination,” Bild wrote.
Augsburg, located around 35 miles west of Munich, is widely described as a key regional transport hub.