Police announced a “major operation” and closed a road linking two central sites in the city.
An explosion has occurred in the centre of the German city of Cologne, according to media reports.
The incident occurred early Monday morning, around 5:50 a.m. local time, and is believed to have so far injured two people, including a maintenance worker who was seriously injured.
Police in the western region of North Rhine-Westphalia initially cordoned off a large area of the Hohenzollernring – Cologne's main entertainment district – between the Rudolfplatz and Friesenplatz metro stations before lifting the barriers, according to a post on X.
Police have not provided any information on the cause of the explosion, which took place outside the entrance to a nightclub in a popular nightlife area.
A police spokesman told local television that the explosion could have injured more people if it had happened later in the day.
Photos posted on social media show several shattered glass windows and ceiling panels hanging from the ceiling outside the Vanity nightclub, which opened in 2011.
