Munich closes Oktoberfest after bomb threat connected to house fire

Munich police closed the Oktoberfest fairgrounds on Wednesday morning and briefly suspended the festival while they investigated a bomb threat linked to an explosion and fire at a residential building in the Lerchenau district in northern Munich. Authorities said the early-morning blaze, which officers described as deliberately set in the course of a domestic dispute, left at least one person dead and prompted a citywide security response that included bomb disposal teams and a sweep of the Theresienwiese festival grounds.

Police said the operation began after emergency crews were called to a detached house around 4:40 a.m. where loud bangs and an explosion were reported. Officers found explosive traps inside the building and specialist teams worked to make them safe. A letter discovered near the scene and believed to have been written by the suspect contained a nonspecific threat linking explosives to Oktoberfest, Munich police said. Organizers and police evacuated staff from the festival site while searches for other devices were carried out.

Bavaria state police later said a 57-year-old German man suspected of carrying out the attack was located dead near a lake north of the...