Germany’s Oktoberfest has been closed with cops scouring the famed Munich showground for explosives after a bomb threat in the wake of a deadly blast in the city.
Commandos were called to a burning home in the city’s north earlier this morning after it was deliberately set on fire in what has been described as a ‘family dispute’.
An injured person found near the bomb-rigged property later died having apparently triggered the explosion and written a threat against Oktoberfest.
Alongside the bomb, a burned out van and a damaged car were found in the city. German newspaper Bild reported that police are now investigating a possible connection with Antifa because the threat to Oktoberfest was posted on a website linked with the movement.
Local media reported that a man was suspected of having caused the explosion and fire in his parents’ house before killing himself, and that shots had been fired in the incident, but police did not confirm this.
One local resident told Die Welt that he ‘woke up around 5am because there were a few loud bangs. I got up, looked, and then there was a fire’.
Another reported a noxious cloud of smoke, along with the smell of fire.
A 200m evacuation zone around the explosion’s epicentre was triggered, forcing local residents to leave the area.
Police said they were investigating any possible link to the Oktoberfest, held annually near the centre of the Bavarian capital on the Theresienwiese fair grounds.
‘Due to a bomb threat in connection with the explosion in northern Munich, Theresienwiese will remain closed until 5.00pm for the time being,’ said a statement on the Oktoberfest website.
Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter hasn’t yet ruled out the possibility that the major celebrations may be closed all day as police investigate, saying this morning: ‘The police will do everything to have the entire Wiesn searched by 5 p.m. this afternoon, if possible, to ensure safety.
‘If that’s not the case, I’ll get in touch again, and then the Wiesn won’t open at all today. I’m sorry, there’s no other way. Safety comes first.’
A message titled ‘Antifa means attack’ posted on the indymedia.org website read: ‘In the early morning hours, we torched several luxury cars in northern Munich and made house calls. In addition, a fascist’s morning walk didn’t end particularly well’.
The note, which has since been taken down, added: ‘In a society that is moving ever further to the right, a decisive stand must be taken against this.
‘The latest election results are frightening, and in parts of the country, Nazis are already taking over entire regions. Nevertheless, most people still look the other way, even though this is their last chance to prevent history from repeating itself.’
Cops told local media that they are aware of the message and are investigating a possible connection.
The festival, which is held this year from September 20 to October 5, is considered the largest funfair in the world. It welcomed 6.7 million visitors from around the planet in 2024.
The incident harkens back to the tragic Oktoberfest bombing in 1980, which saw far-right terrorists kill 13 and injure over 200 in an IED explosion placed at the festival’s main entrance.
Gundolf Köhler created the bomb with an emptied British mortar grenade, into which he placed several military-grade explosives and a gas bottle take from a fire extinguisher.
