A serious security incident occurred at a Bundeswehr ammunition depot in Walsrode, Lower Saxony, according to reports.
On Monday afternoon, a civilian employee of the armed forces allegedly removed a hand grenade from one of the storage facilities and detonated it in a nearby barrack. Military investigators are currently exploring the possibility that the individual attempted suicide. However, the grenade was an obsolete model previously decommissioned by the Bundeswehr and therefore did not explode with full force.
Despite the diminished explosion, the employee sustained severe injuries and required emergency surgery at the hospital of the Medical High School Hannover.
The Bundeswehr confirmed that an “explosive event” occurred in Walsrode but, citing ongoing investigations, declined to comment on the specifics of the incident or the employee’s motives. The Operational Command of the Bundeswehr, responsible for the investigation, has indicated no further details will be released at this time.
