Stadium, concert hall in Hannover evacuated after bomb threat
Police in the German town said they received tip-offs that several explosions had been planned at the venues, and acted immediately.
Police authorities in Hannover, Germany, cancelled a friendly football match between Germany and Netherlands on Tuesday night after they received “concrete evidence” that a series of explosions had been planned at the stadium. The stadium was evacuated about 90 minutes before the kickoff, The Guardian reported. The police believed a suspicious object had been planted in the stadium, though they have been unable to find one.
Announcements were made at the stadium asking people to go home quickly without panic. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several cabinet ministers were expected to attend the match. A concert arena in the city was also reportedly evacuated. The city authorities said they had acted in the interest of safety, and had taken the tip-offs very seriously. Cities in Europe are on high alert following the attacks in Paris on Friday, where suicide bombers and gunmen killed 129 people, including nearly 100 at a concert hall and a football stadium.