Emergencies
Explosion in Solingen: Identity of a victim still unknown
According to police, witnesses reported a loud bang with smoke in front of a residential and commercial building. Photo
© Gianni Gattus/dpa
An explosion claimed a man’s life in Solingen on Tuesday. He is said to have dropped a bottle containing a substance. Much is still unclear in the case.
The police assume that the man dropped a bottle containing an as yet undetermined substance on the sidewalk on Tuesday. When the container burst, an explosion occurred. The man was flown to a specialist clinic with serious injuries and died there a few hours later.
Surveys continue
Investigators questioned residents on Wednesday and looked for other possible witnesses. A political motive for the crime cannot be identified at the current stage of the investigation, said Wuppertal police. “The investigation is still open-ended in order to fully clarify the background.”
In order to identify the suspect and reconstruct details of the crime, the “Jordan Homicide Squad” again turned to the public. In addition to a tip-off portal for witnesses, where photo and video material as well as other observations can be reported and uploaded to the criminal investigation department, a tip-off hotline was also set up.
The explosion in front of a residential and commercial building also shattered windows. Four other people were slightly injured by broken glass or acoustic trauma and were treated in hospital. According to reports, they were a seven-year-old girl, two women aged 35 and 45, and a 38-year-old man.