An explosion close to a German train station prompted authorities to temporarily shut down the transport hub in Augsburg, a city in southern Germany, on Wednesday morning. The incident was followed by the discovery of a suspicious object. Police later confirmed that the object was harmless, leading to the reopening of the train station at 10 a.m. and the resumption of train services.
According to police spokesperson Timo Küfner, the situation was deemed safe after the investigation, and trains were back in operation. The explosion occurred near the station around 3:15 a.m., causing minor injuries to a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, both Ukrainian citizens.
Following the initial incident, a second suspicious object was found at the main train station, which led to the station’s closure at 8:30 a.m. Explosives experts from the Bavarian state criminal police office were deployed to investigate the scene.
While the motive behind the explosion remains unknown, authorities are actively investigating the incident. The disruption also affected road traffic and public transportation in the vicinity of the station during the early morning hours.
Reports indicated that a hand grenade detonated near a jewelry store early in the morning, suggesting that the train station was not the primary target of the incident. Augsburg, with a population of 308,000 residents, is located approximately 78 kilometers northwest of Munich.
This incident comes shortly after the German government accused Russia of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport using explosives, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries. Officials have raised concerns about Russia’s alleged campaign to destabilize European nations and undermine support for Ukraine.