A bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team was targeted in a bomb attack as it left a hotel in the German city of Dortmund, injuring one of the players, officials say. The motive for the attack is still unclear.
The attack happened at about 7:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday as the bus left a hotel in southeast Dortmund. The bus was heading to the team’s home stadium in Dortmund to face Monaco in a Champions League quarter-final match.
The explosions damaged several windows and injured player Marc Bartra, who suffered a broken radial bone as well as other injuries to his arm. A spokesman for the club described Bartra’s injuries as serious and said the player was undergoing surgery on late Tuesday evening.
Police said the explosions were caused by “serious explosives,” though it remains unclear who carried out the attack and whether there is a link to terrorism. A written letter claiming responsibility for the attack was found in the vicinity of the hotel, prosecutor Sandra Lucke said, but its contents have not yet been released.
Tuesday night’s match between Dortmund and Monaco was canceled as a result of the attack and is now expected to take place at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday. News of the explosions emerged when many people had already arrived at the stadium to watch the quarter-final match.
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