An explosion at a café on Mittelstraße in Mannheim’s Neckarstadt-West district injured one person early Monday, October 26, police said. The blast happened at about 3:10 a.m.; the cause and extent of the damage remain unclear, according to Tagesschau, citing SWR.
The injured person was treated in hospital, Die Rheinpfalz reported, citing police. Police said investigators were examining the incident in all directions and had not established what caused the explosion. A police officer ruled out a gas explosion, the outlet reported.
Café owner Francesco Silva told dpa that he believed the incident was an attack. Die Rheinpfalz reported that Silva showed the news agency surveillance footage on his phone that appeared to show a burning object, resembling a firecracker, being thrown through the café entrance before the explosion. The owner’s account does not establish who was responsible or what the object was.
The blast damaged the café’s storefront, and glass was scattered outside, according to local reporting. Police temporarily closed the area. As of a report published at 7:18 a.m., trams were not running through Mittelstraße while the transport operator checked whether the overhead line had been damaged, Tagesschau reported.
The investigation is ongoing. Police have not announced a cause, suspect or motive, and the amount of property damage has not been determined.
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