- Another explosion at a house in Cologne - police are investigating
In Cologne, there has been another explosion at a residential building. The explosion occurred on Tuesday morning on the ground floor of a building in the Meschenich district, police and prosecutors reported. A 59-year-old man was briefly treated in a hospital. The apartments on the ground floor of the multi-family house were initially uninhabitable, as investigators explained. Several doors were severely damaged.
Currently, no indications of a connection to other explosions
In recent weeks, there have been several explosions in Cologne, as well as in Engelskirchen and Duisburg. Preliminary police findings suggest that these detonations, as well as a recent hostage situation in Cologne, were linked to disputes between drug gangs, including those from the Netherlands. This had raised fears of further such incidents. Explosions at house entrances are a common intimidation tactic used by Dutch drug dealers, often referred to as the "Mocro-Mafia".
However, prosecutors and police emphasized that there are currently "no indications" of a connection to the explosions in recent weeks. The background of the current case remains unclear. Authorities are asking witnesses to come forward with any information.
Neighbors alerted the fire department
Neighbors alerted the fire department around 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning due to a fire on the ground floor of the multi-family house. Upon arrival, neighbors reported a suspected explosion in front of an apartment entrance.
The police are also investigating whether the detonation could be linked to damage to a window pane that was discovered on the house. It is believed to have been caused by shots fired during the previous Saturday night (27 July) when no one was in the affected apartment. Witnesses reported seeing a man flee in a dark car after the incident.
The investigation into the explosion is being led by the local police, working closely with The Office of the Prosecutor to determine the cause and potential motives behind the incident. Despite similar incidents in Cologne, Engelskirchen, and Duisburg, there is currently no evidence linking this explosion to these events.
