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Oktoberfest closed in Munich after fatal fire and bomb threat Munich Oktoberfest to re-open after fatal house fire and bomb threat
(about 2 hours later)
Firefighters put out a van fire close to the house in northern Munich where a person was fatally injuredFirefighters put out a van fire close to the house in northern Munich where a person was fatally injured
Police in the German city of Munich say the venue where Oktoberfest is taking place has been temporarily closed because of possible links to an explosion and fire at a house rigged with explosives. Police in the German city of Munich say the venue where Oktoberfest is taking place will re-open early on Wednesday evening, after it was shut while investigators probed a potential bomb threat linked to a fire at a house in the north of the city.
A badly injured man was found at a nearby lake and later died. The house was rigged with explosives and a 57-year-old man is suspected of starting the fire as part of a family dispute.
Mayor Dieter Reiter said the festival site would remain closed until at least 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday because of an unspecified bomb threat. His body was later found at a nearby lake and police said he was carrying a backpack apparently containing an "explosive device".
A large-scale emergency operation was under way in Lerchenau in northern Munich. Police said potential links to other locations were being investigated, including the site of the annual beer festival. Officers closed the annual beer festival for much of the day after a letter from the suspect had been found with "a non-specific bomb threat relating to the Oktoberfest".
A possible connection to the leftist Antifa movement was also investigated after a message was posted online claiming to be behind several incidents in northern Munich. Police said later that there was nothing to suggest a link and the message was "the work of copycats". Teams of explosives specialists and sniffer dogs had searched the site during the day.
Oktoberfest runs from 20 September until 5 October and it has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors. It is described as both the world's biggest folk and beer festival. Police later said that their investigations at the festival venue - the Theresienwiese, a massive open space which has held Munich's Oktoberfest for more than 200 years - were complete and it would re-open at 17:30 (15:30 GMT).
Police investigating the fire in Lerchenau said they believed a residential building was deliberately set alight as part of a family dispute. Nearby cars were also on fire. Oktoberfest runs from 20 September until 5 October and has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors. It is described as both the world's biggest folk and beer festival.
Special forces were deployed to defuse booby traps in the house. Meanwhile, a large-scale emergency operation was under way in Lerchenau in northern Munich. Police said potential links between the incident there and other locations were being investigated, as well as the site of the Oktoberfest.
"The injured person who was found has since died. Another person is missing, but is not believed to pose any danger," they added. Police investigating the fire said they were alerted to the incident in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after receiving reports of explosions. Nearby cars were set on fire.
"Booby traps were also found in the affected building. Special forces were called in to defuse them." Special forces were later deployed to defuse booby traps inside the house.
Numerous emergency personnel are on site. Police said the suspect's 81-year-old German mother and his 21-year-old daughter, a German-Brazilian citizen, were injured in the incident. They are currently in hospital receiving treatment.
Numerous emergency personnel are on-site.
"There are currently no indications that there is a danger at other locations in Munich," police said.