Explosions hit football team bus in Germany, one injured

Champions League quarter-final first-leg match against Monaco has been called off after the blasts

DORTMUND: Three explosions rocked the Borussia Dortmund bus, injuring Spanish international Marc Bartra, as the German team headed for a Champions League game against Monaco on Tuesday, police said.

Bartra was taken to hospital and the quarter-final first-leg match was postponed until Wednesday because of the attack. Other Dortmund players were said to be ‘shocked’ but with no injuries.

The bus had set off from the team hotel for the Borussia stadium about 12 kilometres away when "three explosive charges detonated," said a police spokesman, Gunnar Wortmann.

The explosions came shortly after 7.00pm (1700 GMT) on the Wittbraeuckerstrasse road.

 



The bus windows were shattered, police and team officials said.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said Bartra, 26, suffered a hand injury and was being treated in hospital.

The club said other players were safe and there was no danger inside the Signal Iduna Park stadium.

"There has been an attack with explosives on the team bus," said Watzke.

"The whole team is in a state of shock, you can't get pictures like that out of your head.

"I hope the team will be in a position to be able to compete tomorrow on the pitch.



"In a crisis situation like this, Borussia pulls together."

The announcement that the game was postponed until Wednesday was only made to the stunned stadium about 15 minutes before the game was due to start.

UEFA said the match will now be played on Wednesday.

Dortmund relayed a copy of its Twitter announcement of the explosions inside the stadium to inform fans of events.

The club urged fans in the stadium not to panic.

"We recommend to stay in the stadium and to keep calm to ensure an orderly departure," said a Dortmund Twitter statement.