COLOGNE. A large explosion has occurred in the center of Cologne, in the Hohenzollernring area, Bild reports. A cleaner was seriously injured in the explosion and is now in hospital. The police say on X that the area is closed and “a major police operation” is underway. The entrance to a nightclub in the center of Cologne was damaged. According to the Faz, there were no injuries. The police have cordoned off the Hohenzollernring, the nightlife area of the city on the Rhine, which is partially closed between Rudolfplatz and Friesenplatz. According to WDR, shortly after 6 a.m. a bomb exploded right next to the Vanity nightclub, knocking down ceiling panels and shattering window panes.
The video
The explosion was not the result of an accident. Video footage from a surveillance camera in the entrance area of the affected building, which ‘Express.de’ obtained, shows a person wearing a hood placing a bag or sack. Then the explosion. According to ‘Express.de’, the explosion struck the entrance area of the ”Vanity Club Cologne”.
The detonation
The explosion in front of the restaurant, which also serves as a nightclub, caused ceiling panels in the entrance area of the building to fall and window panes to shatter. The owner told Bild: “This is terror in Cologne. Someone detonated an explosive device, even though they must have seen that people were there. I estimate that the property damage is worth 100,000 euros.”
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