UPDATED: German officials deny truck bomb disguised as ambulance behind cancelled soccer match
UPDATED
What exactly composed the suspicious object, however, is being debated. German media is reporting that police received “concrete” information about a bomb threat and that the Hannover police confirmed an explosive device on the premises.
In a press conference held later, however, German officials denied any explosive device had been found, according to The Washington Post’s Charles Lane.
German officials also denied various reports purporting that a truck bomb disguised as an ambulance was found near the stadium.
A sports stadium in Germany was evacuated Tuesday evening ahead of a scheduled friendly soccer match between the Netherlands and Germany, police said.
According to a German newspaper, an ambulance full of explosives was found near the stadium following a bomb threat. Police have not yet confirmed the report.
An announcement by police informed spectators about an hour and a half before kickoff on Tuesday that the stadium would be evacuated.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and at least three other top government officials were expected to attend the match, Merkel’s office said.
Police found an ambulance filled with explosives outside a canceled soccer match in Hannover, Germany, immediately invoking fears of another terror attack like last week’s massacre in Paris, according to local reports.
Authorities also cleared the TUI-Arena, with a performance planned by German band Söhne Mannheims, but did not say if there was a serious threat there.
The German newspaper Kreiszeitung reported officials found an ambulance stuffed with explosives outside the stadium.
An announcement was made at the Hannover stadium about 90 minutes before the friendly match was set to be played, asking all in attendance to leave the arena. Fans were told to leave “quickly,” but without panic and go home.
The announcement said, “Please go in small groups back home, it’s better this way.”
The game was set to start at 8:45 p.m. local time. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other cabinet ministers were set to attend the game.
According to the Associated Press, Hannover police chief Volker Kluwe said on TV, “We had concrete evidence that someone wanted to set off an explosive device in the stadium.”
BREAKING: Reports that German police have discovered a truck bomb disguised as an ambulance near football stadium in Hanover. #GERNED
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 17, 2015
BREAKING: Police in Hanover have closed a section of the city’s central train station as another object has been discovered.” #GERNED — DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 17, 2015
BREAKING: Hanover chief of police: “There was a device intended to be detonated inside the stadium.” #GERNED — DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 17, 2015
OFFICIAL: Police announcement: “Move away from the stadium. Do not stand still.” #GERNED — DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 17, 2015
