Explosion outside Speyer butcher's shop breaks windows in four buildings
Police say an explosive device was set off outside a shop in Speyer city centre early on Friday, breaking windows but causing no injuries.
An explosive device went off outside a butcher's shop in central Speyer, Germany, shortly after 3am local time on Friday, breaking windows in four buildings and damaging walls, police said. No one was hurt.
The Koblenz public prosecutor's office is investigating two teenagers on suspicion of negligent arson, police said, though officers had not confirmed any arrest or named the suspects. Federal police in the Rhineland-Palatinate region had earlier described an active operation under way in Speyer's city centre.
Residents in Speyer's city centre were woken by the sound of the blast, broadcaster SWR Aktuell reported. Officers evacuated ten people from nearby flats as a precaution; no one was injured, police said.
Investigators believe the device was a ground-based firework of a type that can legally be sold only to professionals, though such fireworks are often sold freely online, a police spokesman told SWR Aktuell. Experts from the state crime office examined the scene, and police said they found remnants of the firework in front of the shop.
Police estimated the damage at more than 10,000 euros and said they were looking for witnesses who could help identify those responsible. Detectives from the criminal police have taken over the investigation, and the scene remained under examination into Friday morning.
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What we know
- Official · Bundespolizei Presse An explosive device or firework was set off outside a butcher's shop in Lauergasse, Speyer, at about 02:45 on Friday, police said.
- 2+ outlets · Stern, WELT Windows were broken in four nearby buildings; no one was injured.
- 1 outlet · WELT Ten people were evacuated as a precaution, according to WELT.
- 1 outlet · WELT Damage is estimated at about 10,000 euros; detectives have taken over the investigation, WELT reported.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Who set off the device and why has not been confirmed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The blast disrupted a residential street in central Speyer overnight and forced a precautionary evacuation of ten residents, and police say restricted fireworks of the kind suspected here are nonetheless sold openly online, a gap that is now effectively part of the investigation into how the device was obtained and who set it off.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Bundespolizei Presse: POL-PPRP: Aktuell laufender Polizeieinsatz in der Innenstadt von Speyer
- Stern: Kriminalität: Zerbrochene Fensterscheiben nach Explosion in Speyer
- WELT: Zerbrochene Fensterscheiben nach Explosion in Speyer
- SWR Aktuell: Illegal Böller in Speyer gezündet: Wohnungen vorsorglich evakuiert
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Speyer?
- An explosive device or firework was set off outside a butcher's shop in Lauergasse early on Friday, breaking windows in four buildings, police said.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No. Police said no one was injured, though ten people were evacuated as a precaution.
- Is there a continuing danger?
- Police said there is no known danger to other residents, and the criminal police are continuing to investigate.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.