Germany-Netherlands game has been canceled, and the stadium is being evacuated following a bomb threat
A friendly soccer game between Germany and the Netherlands was canceled at short notice after the Hannover police acquired "concrete information" about a bomb threat on Tuesday.
Volker Kluwe, the police chief for Germany's Lower Saxony region, told the BBC that "there were plans for some kind of explosion." And AFP, citing German police, reports that the game was canceled over an "explosion" threat.
And Kluwe told DW Sports that "there was a device intended to be detonated inside the stadium." He has also warned individuals to find safety and avoid large groups outside of the stadium.
In addition to the soccer game, a second stadium was evacuated in Hannover following security concerns. The stadium was going to host a concert by the band "Soehne Mannheims." Reuters reports that an additional suspicious device was found at a train station in Hannover. Portions of that station have been closed to the public in response.
According to BBC, the stadium started its evacuations two hours before the start of the match. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in addition to other members of the German government, were scheduled to attend the game.
Speaking to NDR, a German broadcast station, Kluwe said that the police were prepared for all situations and that heavy security will continue throughout the city all night.
"Because of the events in Paris, we were particularly sensitive and prepared for everything," Kluwe told NDR, according to a translation from CNN. "We have prepared for this kind of scenario. ... We will have a heavy presence throughout the night and ensure the safety around the city."
The incidents in Hannover come just days after ISIS launched coordinated attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people last Friday.
At least one of the ISIS attackers in Paris had tried to gain access to France's national soccer stadium. The attacker was turned away by security after it was discovered that he was wearing an explosive vest. While attempting to escape from security, the attacker detonated his vest outside of the stadium.
(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
The evacuation of the stadiums follows a decision Monday by the Belgian soccer federation to cancel a game scheduled for Tuesday between Belgium and Spain. The federation cited security concerns following the Paris attacks and how one Belgian-based French suspect was still on the run following the attacks.
Security before the game was very tight, with police armed with machine guns surrounding the stadium and maintaining a very obvious presence in the city. Reporters arriving for the game were searched, while a sniffer dog was deployed to check their bags.
Following the cancellation of the game, the German national team was placed under police protection and escorted to a secure area. The German national team was playing in Paris last Friday at the time of the attacks.
Germany vs Netherlands... #Hannover pic.twitter.com/SH1pEAuaQK- Avanti Ultras (@Avanti_Ultras_) November 17, 2015