BREAKING NEWS: German soccer stadium evacuated after bomb warning

ABC News - 3:24 PM EST
Soccer Stadium in Hannover, Germany Evacuated After 'Serious' Indications of Explosive Materials

A soccer stadium in Hannover, Germany, was evacuated Tuesday after authorities received "serious" indications of explosive materials there, the city's police chief Volker Kluwe told German TV.

The match, between Germany and the Netherlands, was canceled less than 90 minutes before kickoff.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had planned to attend the match.

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More details from this Fox News/Associated Press report:

A German soccer stadium was evacuated less than two hours before a friendly soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands Tuesday after police uncovered a "concrete" bomb threat.

[...]

"We had concrete evidence that someone wanted to set off an explosive device in the stadium," Hannover police chief Volker Kluwe told German TV. Referring to another bomb threat about an hour beforehand that turned out to be a false alarm, Kluwe said, "After the first object turned out to be harmless, we got a tip that had to be taken seriously that an attack was being planned."

Investigators found a suspicious suitcase inside or near the stadium and a second suspicious device at the city's central train station, German media and Sky News report. Police closed off part of the train station.

[...]

Members of the German government including Chancellor Angela Merkel had been scheduled to attend the match in Hannover to signal that Germany wouldn't bow to terrorism in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Police told soccer fans, "Move away from the stadium. Do not stand still." They say the match was canceled.

There were no signs of panic, with most fans seemingly accepting the decision with resignation. Streets leading to the stadium had been sealed off before the all-clear was given.

Security was very tight, with police armed with machine guns surrounding the stadium and maintaining a very obvious presence in the city. Reporters arriving for the game were searched, while a sniffer dog was deployed to check their bags.

The nearby TUI-Arena was also briefly evacuated, German newspaper Bild reported. Officials there said a scheduled concert would still go on as planned.

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