News / Germany

German police say Bavaria detonation was no bomb blast

Wednesday, 27 July 2016 5:05 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 27 July 2016 5:05 PM ]

Police officers stand outside a reception center for refugees on July 27, 2016 in Zirndorf, Germany, following a detonation incident. ©AFP

The German police have ruled out that a detonation incident in the southeastern state of Bavaria was a bomb blast.

In a statement, police confirmed that there had been a detonation incident involving a suitcase near a center for refugees in the town of Zirndorf, but said there had been no explosion and that there was no danger to the surrounding area.

"There is no indication at the moment that a bomb was detonated in the suitcase," police said in the statement, adding, "It is possible it was a spray can inside the suitcase that caused the explosion. No one was reported injured."

German broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk had reported earlier in the day that a suitcase filled with aerosols detonated close to a reception center for refugees in Zirndorf, which is situated near Nuremberg.

The broadcaster added that the explosion took place around 200 meters (219 yards) from the reception center, noting that it was unknown what had caused the explosion.

Television images had showed police standing near the suitcase partially destroyed and lying in a small alley.

The incident comes as a spate of attacks in Germany has gripped the European country since July 18.

Last week, a 27-year-old Syrian refugee detonated his explosives in the city of Ansbach in Bavaria, killing himself and injuring 15 people.

On July 19, a teenager, identified as an Afghan asylum seeker who wielded an axe and a knife, wounded four passengers on a regional train, before injuring a passerby. The asylum seeker, whom the officials said could be a Pakistani national, was killed by the police.

The deadliest attack of all came on July 22 when a teenager opened fire at people shopping at a mall in the city of Munich, killing nine and injuring more than 30 others. That was followed by another machete attack in the southwestern city of Reutlingen that left a woman dead and two other people injured.

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