Germany's Oktoberfest back on celebration after bomb threat

Security was tight as the gates opened on Wednesday evening./ Photo: Jason Tschepljakow/dpa/picture alliance

Wednesday, 1st October, a Munich investigation team detected a suspect’s bomb threat mentioning the world-renowned Oktoberfest beer festival, causing the festival’s opening to be delayed. However, Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter said the festival would be reopened as usual after the authorities had checked the security in the festival.

The police investigation revealed a fire burning a detached house in Northern Munich, in which a suspect’s van was also booby trapped and was on fire during the response.

Security stand at the Oktoberfest venue in Munich, Germany, that was closed after a bomb threat./ Photo: Matthias Schrader/AP

Police believe, the 57-year-old suspect, lit the house before suicide himself later, the police helicopter tracked his fleeing away from the location of incident, he was carrying bombs in his backpack waiting for ignition.

Bavarian police said the investigation linked the other parts of the city, including the Theresienwiese festival grounds.

Munich's police also said the festival grounds were shut down as precaution after a letter was found on the suspect’s person, which mentioned the event.

Firefighters put out a van fire close to the house in northern Munich where a person was fatally injured./ Photo: Reuters

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the authorities have not found a motive for the crime from the political movement or extreme group from the death and explosion of the suspect though the opening ceremony was postponed. However, the primary investigation pointed to the fighting in their family as a cause.

From this case, more than 500 Munich’s officers were on duty, and many of them carried out the precaution check and patrolled during the beer festival.

SOURCE: DW NEWS

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