Oktoberfest to remain shut on Wednesday after explosion in Munich

The Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich will remain shut on Wednesday until at least 5 pm (1500 GMT) after police said they discovered explosives in a residential building in the north of the city that caught fire and left one person dead.

As part of a major operation that police earlier said posed no danger to the public, special forces were investigating an area in the north of Munich where Bild newspaper and multiple other reports said shots and explosions had been heard.

Police said the residential building had been deliberately set on fire in a family dispute and one person who was found there had died and another was missing, but not believed to be in danger.

Special forces had to be brought in to defuse booby traps found in the building, according to police.

"We are currently investigating all possibilities. Possible connections to other locations in Munich are being examined, including the Theresienwiese (where the Oktoberfest is located)," said Munich police on the WhatsApp messaging service.

"For this reason, the opening of the festival grounds has been delayed," police added.

The Oktoberfest, the world's biggest folk festival, opened on September 20 and will end on October 5.

On its website, the Oktoberfest said it would remain shut on Wednesday until 5 pm in connection with the explosion in northern Munich. 

Reuters