An explosion occurred near a train station in Augsburg, Germany, prompting a temporary closure of the transport hub due to the discovery of a suspicious object on Wednesday morning. The authorities later confirmed that the object was harmless, leading to the reopening of the station at 10 a.m. and resumption of train services.
According to police spokesperson Timo Küfner, the incident involved an unidentified object exploding 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. Subsequently, a second suspicious object was found at the main train station, although it did not detonate, resulting in the station’s closure at 8:30 a.m.
Explosives experts from the Bavarian state criminal police office were deployed to investigate the scene, with Küfner mentioning that the motive behind the explosion was still under investigation. The disruption caused by the incident affected road traffic and public transportation in the vicinity early in the morning.
Reports indicated that a hand grenade exploded in front of a jewelry store in the area, suggesting that the train station may not have been the intended target. Augsburg, a city with a population of 308,000 residents in Bavaria, is situated approximately 78 kilometers northwest of Munich.
This event follows the recent accusation by the German government, pointing to Russia’s involvement in an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month. The drone, laden with explosives, was discovered near a Ukrainian plane but was successfully defused. Germany’s response included the closure of a Russian consulate and other measures against Moscow, highlighting escalating tensions between the two countries. Amidst Western accusations of Russia engaging in disruptive activities across Europe, concerns about destabilization and support for Ukraine persist.