An explosion has hit a bus carrying German soccer team Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League match, the club says.
The damaged Borussia Dortmund bus. Photo: AFP
Player Marc Bartra has been injured and has been taken to hospital after the incident in Hoechsten, outside the city of Dortmund.
Marc Bartra was injured in the blast, the club said. Photo: AFP
Police spokesperson Gunnar Wortmann told the Associated Press there were "three explosions near the team bus as they left the hotel to go to the stadium" and that "there was one player injured inside and damage to a window".
Dortmund Police said there was no evidence of a threat to visitors at the stadium.
"After the initial investigation, we assume that this was an attack with serious explosives," they said.
Police said there was no indication at this stage the explosions were terror related, and they said it was a targeted attack on the team.
They said they believed the explosives were hidden in a roadside bush on a public road outside the team hotel.
The team said the other players were safe.
The German club were due to play Monaco on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, but the match has been postponed.
Police patrol outside the stadium after an explosion of the team bus of Borussia Dortmund. Photo: AFP
Fans at the 80,000-capacity Signal Iduna Park were told to stay there until it was safe to leave.
The stadium was later evacuated safely and police thanked the fans for their co-operation.
Monaco fans were praised for their chants of support for Dortmund. Social media also carried offers from Dortmund residents to Monaco fans in need of a bed for the night on #bedforawayfans.
-BBC / Reuters
