The opening of the Oktoberfest is delayed in Munich after a deadly fire and a bomb threat

Police from the German city in Munich say that the opening of the place where the Oktoberfest takes place was delayed due to the possible links with an explosion and a fire in a city house, in which a person died.

Mayor Dieter Reiter said the Theresienwiese would remain closed until at least 5:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday due to a bomb threat.

A large -scale emergency operation is currently underway in Lerchenau in the north of Munich. Police said they had been launched by a fire in a single -family house. According to reports, residents also said they had heard an explosion.

The police said that possible links in other places were the subject of an investigation, including the site of the Theresienwiese Festival.

“For this reason, the opening of the festival’s land has been delayed,” the police said.

Oktoberfest takes place from September 20 to October 5 and it has already attracted more than 3.5 million visitors. It is described both as the biggest festival folk and beer in the world.

Police investigating Lerchenau’s fire said they thought that a residential building had been deliberately lit as part of a family dispute.

“The injured person who has been found has died since. Another person has been missing, but he is not supposed to represent a danger,” they added.

“Crazy traps have also been found in the affected building. Special forces have been called to defuse them.”

Many emergency staff are on site.