A friendly soccer match between Germany and Holland has been cancelled before kickoff, and the stadium evacuated, after police received credible information about a bomb threat.
Volker Kluwe, chief of police in Hanover, told media:
“We have received concrete information that someone was planning to set off explosives inside the stadium.”
A concert venue in the city was also evacuated overnight. Local mayor Stefan Schostok added:
“Safety is paramount. This is a fear you will always have. I trust the police have made the right decision. If a threat situation exists, then those steps must be taken.”
Despite concerns following the recent Paris attacks, in which upwards of 130 people were killed around the city, the German Soccer Association voted unanimously for the match to carry on as intended.
The stadium was evacuated before kick-off, with fans advised to leave calmly and in small groups, and the German team bus redirected to a “safe place.” Chancellor Angela Merkel was due to attend the match, along with a number of high-ranking cabinet officials.
Initially, it was understood that a suspicious suitcase was found inside the stadium, however, unconfirmed reports from German publication Bild say that police discovered a truck bomb “disguised” as an ambulance.
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
via The Guardian
Photo: Alexander Koerner via Getty Images
Photo: Alexander Koerner via Getty Images
