German police announced on Monday the launch of a security operation after an explosion in the center of the city of Cologne in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany.
“There is a major police operation in the Hohenzollernring area,” the police said in a post on their X account, calling on citizens to avoid the area.
An explosion in central Cologne on Monday morning caused extensive damage to the entrance area of a commercial building. According to initial information, the explosion did not cause any injuries.
The explosive device exploded shortly after 6 a.m. next to a nightclub in Cologne’s Hohenzollernring, causing a roof to collapse in the entrance area of the commercial building and shattering window panes.
The police have not yet provided any information about the possible causes of the explosion, while an investigation has been opened into the incident.
According to the German channel WDR, this incident is similar to a series of attacks on residential and commercial buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia. Many of these attacks are said to be attributed to a drug gang from the Netherlands, and are due to disputes with drug dealers from the Rhineland.
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2024-09-17 02:49:37