Masked man arrested after explosion, threats on high-speed train in Germany Photo

A 20-year-old man was arrested late on April 2 after allegedly setting off an explosive device and threatening passengers aboard a high-speed train in western Germany, prompting a major emergency response and the evacuation of 180 people.

The incident occurred at the Siegburg-Bonn high-speed rail station, where the ICE 19 train to Frankfurt Central Station had been halted at Platform 6 since about 8:30 p.m. local time. Emergency services and police remained at the scene until after midnight, BIld reports.

Passengers reported hearing an explosion in carriage 23 and seeing smoke. According to initial findings cited by local media, the device was a soft air grenade thrown from a train toilet into the aisle. Pellets from the device slightly injured 12 people. One person was taken to a hospital in Bonn with hearing injuries.

Police said the suspect, who was masked, had threatened to carry out an attack and set off firecrackers. Witnesses reported that a male passenger forced the man into a train toilet and locked him inside until officers arrived.

Federal police arrested the suspect in the restroom. Authorities later identified him as a 20-year-old German citizen from Aachen. He was allegedly carrying a large knife in his backpack and was masked at the time of the incident. Investigators also found a second knife and two smoke grenades during a search.

Carriage 23 was sealed off as a crime scene while specialist officers, including dog handlers and explosives experts, searched the train to ensure no further dangerous items were present.

A nearby road was temporarily closed, and buses were arranged to transport stranded passengers to Frankfurt. Travelers who had left luggage in the affected carriage were allowed to retrieve their belongings only after the train was declared safe, shortly after 1 a.m.

The suspect remains in police custody. Authorities are investigating the motive and are pursuing charges of aggravated assault and violations of explosives and weapons laws.

By Sabina Mammadli