German police shut down the Oktoberfest fairgrounds in Munich on Wednesday morning following a bomb threat linked to a deadly explosion in the city.

City officials confirmed that the threat came from the suspected perpetrator of an explosion at a residential building in northern Munich earlier that day. At least one death was connected to the blast, which police said was deliberately set on fire and tied to a domestic dispute.

It was not immediately clear whether the deceased was the suspected perpetrator or another individual. Police said another person, who was not considered dangerous to the public, remained missing.

Specialised teams were called in to defuse booby traps in the building, and images from the area showed a burned-out van.

Officials revealed that the Oktoberfest bomb threat was contained in a letter from the alleged perpetrator. Police evacuated workers and searched the fairgrounds for explosive devices. Authorities announced that the festival, which began on 20 September and runs until 5 October, would remain closed at least until 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Wednesday.

The Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, usually attracts up to 6 million visitors annually.

The closure revived memories of 1980, when Oktoberfest was targeted in a neo-Nazi attack. On the evening of 26 September that year, a bomb killed 13 people, including three children and the perpetrator, Gundolf Koehler, a student and supporter of a banned far-right group. More than 200 others were injured.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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