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Fatal Explosion In Munich And Threatening Letter Force Police To Shut Down The Famous Oktoberfest
Burned vehicle covered in foam at explosion site in Munich with fire truck and emergency responders nearby.
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Fatal Explosion In Munich And Threatening Letter Force Police To Shut Down The Famous Oktoberfest

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The Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany, was closed on Wednesday (October 1) after police discovered explosives in a residential building in the city that caught fire and caused at least one fatality.

City officials said there had been a b*mb threat issued by the suspected perpetrator of the explosion earlier in the day.

According to Munich police, the explosion was part of a domestic dispute, and the residential building where the incident took place had been “deliberately set on fire.”

Highlights
  • Oktoberfest in Munich was shut down after explosives were found in a residential building.
  • Authorities found hand grenades, tripwires, and booby traps, prompting special forces to defuse explosives at the scene.
  • An unidentified person has lost their life; it's unclear if they are the suspected perpetrator.
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    Image credits: Felix Hörhager/picture alliance

    Image credits: Roland Freund/picture alliance

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    Special forces had to be brought in to defuse booby traps found in the building, according to Munich police.

    Authorities found hand grenades and tripwires, as per Welt.

    An unidentified individual was found seriously injured near the scene of the fire at Lerchenau Lake. The person was later reported to have lost their life, and another individual, who was not considered to be a danger to the public, was reported missing.

    It remains unclear whether the deceased person was the suspected perpetrator or someone else.

    The fire reportedly caused at least one fatality

    Image credits: Roland Freund/picture alliance

    Image credits: Up for a Walk?/YouTube

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    “Loud banging noises were heard,” police reported, adding that the injured person “might be connected to the incident”.

    One resident told the DPA news agency, “I woke up around five o’clock because there were a few bangs. I got up, looked, and then there was a fire.”

    The motive behind the explosion is still unclear. Authorities are also investigating posts published online by some individuals claiming responsibility for attacks on luxury cars in northern Munich, according to local media.

    Bild newspaper reported that the home affected belonged to the suspect’s parents, although this has not been officially confirmed.

    Image credits: Stuttgarter Zeitung & Stuttgarter Nachrichten

    Image credits: Christof Rührmair/picture alliance

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    Officials discovered the b*mb threat to Oktoberfest in a letter from the alleged perpetrator, as per the Associated Press. Authorities searched the fairgrounds for other explosive devices and asked workers to leave the area.

    A van was also burned out nearby, authorities said. Images from the scene show several burned vehicles in a street after the fire.

    The area was reportedly evacuated around 9:45 am local time. On its website, the beer festival said it would remain shut until 5 pm in connection with the explosion.

    The suspected perpetrator had issued a threat earlier in the day

    Image credits: Up for a Walk?/YouTube

    Image credits: Mkanuel Schwarz/picture alliance

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    Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said the closure of the Oktoberfest festival followed “a perpetrator threatening the Oktoberfest”.

    “The police will do everything to have the entire Wiesn searched by 5 p.m. this afternoon, if possible, to ensure safety,” he stated on Instagram. 

    “If that’s not the case, I’ll get in touch again, and then the Wiesn won’t open at all today.”

    Special forces defused booby traps, while hand grenades and tripwires were also found at the scene

    Image credits: Daily Express

    Munich police said on the WhatsApp messaging service that they are “currently investigating all possibilities,” and that “possible connections to other locations in Munich are being examined.”

    The Oktoberfest, the world’s biggest folk festival, opened on September 20 and will end on October 5.

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    Marina Urman

    Marina Urman

    Writer, Entertainment News Writer

    Read more »

    With a degree in social science and a love for culture, I approach entertainment journalism at Bored Panda with a research-driven mindset. I write about celebrity news, Hollywood highlights, and viral stories that spark curiosity worldwide. My work has reached millions of readers and is recognized for balancing accuracy with an engaging voice. I believe that pop culture isn’t just entertainment, it reflects the social conversations shaping our time.

    Read less »
    Marina Urman

    Marina Urman

    Writer, Entertainment News Writer

    With a degree in social science and a love for culture, I approach entertainment journalism at Bored Panda with a research-driven mindset. I write about celebrity news, Hollywood highlights, and viral stories that spark curiosity worldwide. My work has reached millions of readers and is recognized for balancing accuracy with an engaging voice. I believe that pop culture isn’t just entertainment, it reflects the social conversations shaping our time.

    What do you think ?
    David L
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let's not jump to conclusions but all t*******m in Europe in the last few years has been carried out by the religion of peace, just saying.

    Iampenny
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And yet here you are, jumping to (false) conclusions

    Load More Replies...
    Pferdchen
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know it was 45 years ago, but to understand the shutdown, I think this should have at least mentioned the 1980 bombing at the Oktoberfest that unalived 13 people, perpetrated by a neo-N**i. It's seems likely that many don't know about that incident, particularly overseas.

    Multa Nocte (she/tiger quoll)
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember reading about that. It was terrible. "The Oktoberfest bombing (German: Oktoberfest-Attentat) was a far-right terrorist attack. On 26 September 1980, 13 people were killed (including the perpetrator) and more than 200 injured by the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) at the main entrance of the Oktoberfest festival in Munich, West Germany. The bombing was attributed to the right-wing extremist and geology student Gundolf Köhler, who was instantly killed in the attack as the bomb exploded prematurely."

    Load More Replies...
    persephone134
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bómb is now a censored word. The lists is becoming more ridiculous by the day.

    Load More Comments
    David L
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let's not jump to conclusions but all t*******m in Europe in the last few years has been carried out by the religion of peace, just saying.

    Iampenny
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And yet here you are, jumping to (false) conclusions

    Load More Replies...
    Pferdchen
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know it was 45 years ago, but to understand the shutdown, I think this should have at least mentioned the 1980 bombing at the Oktoberfest that unalived 13 people, perpetrated by a neo-N**i. It's seems likely that many don't know about that incident, particularly overseas.

    Multa Nocte (she/tiger quoll)
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember reading about that. It was terrible. "The Oktoberfest bombing (German: Oktoberfest-Attentat) was a far-right terrorist attack. On 26 September 1980, 13 people were killed (including the perpetrator) and more than 200 injured by the explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) at the main entrance of the Oktoberfest festival in Munich, West Germany. The bombing was attributed to the right-wing extremist and geology student Gundolf Köhler, who was instantly killed in the attack as the bomb exploded prematurely."

    Load More Replies...
    persephone134
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bómb is now a censored word. The lists is becoming more ridiculous by the day.

    Load More Comments
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