Attack on a train with tourists in Germany: a 20-year-old detonated explosives and threatened passengers. 12 people injured
A shocking incident occurred on the Cologne (Cologne)-Frankfurt am Main high-speed line when a 20-year-old detonated pyrotechnic devices and threatened an attack on an ICE train, according to German authorities.
Railway traffic was affected PHOTO: Shutterstock
Twelve passengers sustained injuries, while other passengers were frightened by the explosion of pyrotechnic devices.
The incident took place on Thursday evening, around 20:55, when the ICE 19 train was heading to Frankfurt. Witnesses reported that the suspect detonated airsoft firecrackers, then retreated to a train toilet, where he was locked by a passenger until crews arrived at the Siegburg/Bonn station.
The man was also carrying a knife in his backpack, federal police and local authorities confirmed. His reasons remain under investigation, Diezeit writes.
The police immediately intervened with heavily armed teams and the train was evacuated.
About 150 passengers, many of them tourists, had to disembark and received temporary care from firefighters and emergency crews. The train will be fully inspected as a precaution and has remained on the platform for the duration of the checks.
Due to the police operation, the train line between Hennef (Sieg) and Troisdorf was temporarily closed, causing delays of up to three hours for high-speed trains and diversions of other trains, with additional delays of up to 90 minutes.
Cologne's regional express trains and S-Bahn lines were also affected. The lockdown was lifted after midnight.
The federal police announced that after the initial assessment, the injured passengers only suffered minor, superficial skin injuries, and the exact circumstances of the incident and the reason for the suspect's gesture are still being investigated.
