No explosives found after German stadium evacuated before international friendly

Updated at 21.10

TONIGHT’S INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL match between Germany and the Netherlands has been cancelled.

The friendly, due to take place at Hanover’s 49,000-capacity HDI-Arena, was scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm Irish time but police called it off and evacuated the stadium for security reasons.

German police officers search between the seats of the stadium. Markus Schreiber Markus Schreiber

No explosives have been found so far and no arrests made, a German regional minister said.

Lower Saxony interior minister Boris Pistorius also told a press conference that rumours of an explosives-packed ambulance could not be confirmed.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the match in Hanover — which Chancellor Angela Merkel had been due to attend — was cancelled “to protect the population”, but did not provide specifics.

He said: “we had good reasons, bitter reasons” but added that describing them could “cause concern to the population”, after local police in Hanover earlier said there had been a bomb threat.

The Guardian earlier reported that a “suspicious object” was found at the ground and, according to Focus the venue was in danger of an explosive attack.

We have had concrete evidence that someone wanted to ignite an explosive device at the stadium,” said Hannover’s police chief Volker Kluwe.

Kreiszeitung also claim that an ambulance containing a bomb has been found.

Markus Schreiber Markus Schreiber

The match was to be the world champion’s first since the fixture against France in Paris on Friday was abandoned following attacks outside the Stade de France.

German flags carried out of the stadium. Michael Sohn Michael Sohn

© – AFP 2015

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