Bomb alarm in Potsdam: A suspicious package was delivered by a delivery service in a pharmacy at Potsdam Christmas Market on Friday afternoon. When he unpacked pharmacy owner noticed "that re were such strange wires peeping out". As a result, y carried package out of pharmacy and informed police, he said latest news from Potsdam.

The Christmas market was subsequently evacuated and Potsdam city centre was closed down in parts. The package was opened by specialists of Federal Police with water jet of a special robot. At 17.30 p.m. The police said: "The controlled defusing of suspicious object is done."

The most important questions and answers about Potsdam Bomb alarm:

What was in package?

A tin box with hundreds of small nails, cables, batteries and a firecrackers with increased explosive force. The content has not yet been analyzed definitively. For this, police want to reassemble harmless package. The remnants were brought to forensic institute at Brandenburg state office in Eberswalde, as a police spokesman said. The evaluation will take a few days.

Was content a threat?

If explosive body had been ignitable, yes. According to Brandenburg's interior Minister Karl-Heinz Schröter (SPD), a firecrackers in a tightly sealed container has a considerable explosive force. However, package did not contain a detonator. Schröter refore spoke of a very well imitated explosive body.

Who was threat addressed to?

This is not known, accordingly motif is still unknown. The suspicious package was eir people at Christmas market or Potsdam Queen Luise Pharmacy. So far, however, police are rar out of a planned attack on Christmas market. "According to previous findings, our investigators consider it unlikely that Christmas market was target," police wrote on Twitter. Details could not be communicated for investigative tactical reasons, said a spokesman. However, it will be furr investigated in all directions.

Even a sender was indicated on package, but police assume that this is wrong.

Brandenburg's police spokesman Torsten Herbst did not, however, shut down a political motive. That is why State protection Department of Brandenburg National criminal office has taken over investigations. So far, however, re is no reference to a terrorist background.

What are consequences of event?

After bomb alarm security measures will be increased at Christmas markets in Brandenburg. Emergency police forces are to be stepped up on patrol, "especially in Potsdam", as a spokesman for location center said on Saturday morning. The traditional Christmas market in Potsdam's city centre is held every year. It is largest of its kind in land of Brandenburg and extends along Brandenburg Road to Luisenplatz, near palace Park Sanssouci.

After assassination of a Berlin Christmas market almost a year ago, security measures for such events had already been tightened. Since beginning of week, Christmas markets have opened up throughout Germany. On December 19, 2016, assassin Anis Amri from Tunisia was driven into Christmas market at Berlin Memorial Church with a hijacked truck. He killed 12 people and injured more than 70 more.

Date Of Update: 03 December 2017, 12:03