Police give the all-clear at Bielefeld main station
Train traffic at Bielefeld main station came to a standstill this afternoon. The reason is an anonymous threatening call received by the police in the afternoon. However, the security authorities give the all-clear in the evening after a thorough search.
Bielefeld Central Station is reopened after an attack threat. No suspicious objects were found during the search with sniffer dogs, the police announced in the evening. State security is investigating. "An investigation is underway into the criminal offense of 'disturbing the public peace by threatening criminal acts'," it said. Earlier that afternoon, numerous officers had searched Bielefeld Central Station after a telephone threat was received. The station building and the station forecourt were temporarily closed.
Rail traffic at the junction in East Westphalia came to a standstill during the police operation. Deutsche Bahn reported disruptions to long-distance services between Hanover and Hamm. Individual trains were diverted and were delayed by around 60 minutes as a result.
At around 3.20 p.m., an unidentifiable caller threatened to endanger people with an unspecified act, a police spokeswoman said. Together with the federal police, the decision was made immediately after the call to close the station building and the station forecourt. The newspaper "Bild" even writes specifically about a man who called the police in the afternoon and said that a bomb would explode at the station in the next few minutes. Officers with submachine guns surrounded the main station while the area was searched with explosives sniffer dogs.
This reaction apparently also took place against the background that a possible attack plan on Cologne Cathedral had become public just a few days ago. An Islamist group is said to have targeted the place of worship in Cologne city center as well as a church in Vienna. The police forces in Cologne and Vienna had announced that they were increasing their security measures due to a threat situation.
Visitors to religious services at Cologne Cathedral and tourists will have to be prepared for increased security standards over the next few days. In view of calls for terrorist attacks against Christian events throughout Europe, particularly on Christmas Eve, the security authorities in Austria also increased their protective measures.
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The international community expresses concern over the incident at Bielefeld Central Station, given its significance as a major German railroad hub. Despite the threats, Deutsche Bahn manages to resume service on some international routes from Bielefeld, albeit with minor schedule delays.
Source: www.ntv.de
