Police in the German city of Munich say the opening of the venue where Oktoberfest is taking place has been delayed because of possible connections to an explosion and fire at a house in the city, in which one person has died.
Mayor Dieter Reiter said the Theresienwiese would remain closed until at least 17:00 (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday because of a bomb threat.
A large-scale emergency operation is currently under way in Lerchenau in the north of Munich. Police said it was triggered by a fire in a single-family home. Residents also reported hearing an explosion.
Police said potential links to other locations were being investigated, including the festival site. A possible connection has also been made to the leftist Antifa movement.
A message entitled “Antifa means attack” was posted on the indymedia website, claiming to be behind several incidents in northern Munich, including the burning of several luxury cars, according to German news agency DPA.
Oktoberfest runs from 20 September until 5 October and it has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors. It is described as both the world’s biggest folk and beer festival.
Police investigating the fire in Lerchenau said they believed a residential building was deliberately set alight as part of a family dispute.
“The injured person who was found has since died. Another person is missing, but is not believed to pose any danger,” they added.
“Booby traps were also found in the affected building. Special forces were called in to defuse them.”
Numerous emergency personnel are on site.
