Munich: German police temporarily closed the Oktoberfest fairgrounds on Wednesday morning following a bomb threat linked to a suspected perpetrator involved in a deadly explosion in northern Munich.

Authorities said the incident began early Wednesday with an explosion and fire at a residential building, believed to have been deliberately set as part of a domestic dispute. At least one fatality has been reported, though it remains unclear whether the deceased is the alleged perpetrator or another individual. Another person remains unaccounted for but is not considered a public threat.

Police said specialised teams were deployed to neutralise potential booby traps at the scene of the explosion. Images from the site showed a severely burnt van, adding to the evidence that the fire was set intentionally.

A bomb threat to Oktoberfest was discovered in a letter written by the suspected perpetrator, prompting authorities to evacuate and search the festival grounds for any explosive devices. Workers were asked to leave the area, and the grounds will remain closed until at least 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Wednesday as investigations continue.

This year’s Oktoberfest began on 20 September and is scheduled to run until 5 October. The world-famous beer festival typically attracts up to six million visitors each year.

The threat has revived memories of the 1980 Oktoberfest bombing, a neo-Nazi attack that killed 13 people—including three children and the attacker—and injured more than 200 others. The perpetrator of that attack, Gundolf Koehler, was a supporter of a now-banned far-right group.

(AP)