Police in the German city of Munich have announced that the Oktoberfest venue will reopen early on Wednesday evening. This follows extensive investigations into a potential bomb threat that was linked to a fire at a nearby house.
The house was reported to have been rigged with explosives, and authorities suspect a 57-year-old man started the fire due to a domestic dispute. His body was later recovered from a nearby lake, and he was reportedly found carrying a backpack containing an explosive device.
The annual beer festival was shut down during the day after investigators discovered a letter from the suspect that contained a non-specific bomb threat related to the Oktoberfest. Teams of explosives specialists, aided by sniffer dogs, conducted thorough searches of the festival area throughout the day.
Authorities confirmed that their investigations at the Theresienwiese venue, which has hosted Oktoberfest for over 200 years, were completed, leading to its reopening scheduled for 17:30 local time.
Currently, Oktoberfest, which runs from September 20 to October 5, has already welcomed over 3.5 million visitors, making it the largest folk and beer festival in the world.
Simultaneously, a large-scale emergency operation is taking place in Lerchenau, where police are investigating possible connections between the house fire incident and any threats to the Oktoberfest site. Eyewitness reports suggested that explosions had sparked nearby car fires earlier in the day, prompting urgency in the police response.
As a precaution, special forces were deployed to address booby traps within the house. The suspect's family members, including his 81-year-old mother and 21-year-old daughter, were injured in the incident and are currently receiving medical treatment. However, police have assured the public that there are no other risks reported across Munich.
