The Federal Police arrested a masked man aboard an ICE train traveling from Cologne to Frankfurt on Thursday evening. Around 9:00 p.m., the train-already running roughly 20 minutes late after arriving from Brussels-was brought to an unscheduled stop at the Siegburg bei Bonn station to allow authorities to act.
Passengers had earlier reported that a man in carriage 23 had detonated something, producing heavy smoke. It was not immediately clear whether a firecracker, another explosive device, or a paintball grenade was used; witnesses mentioned a possible paintball grenade. Two individuals were slightly injured.
When the train came to a halt, responders searched for the masked suspect, who was armed with a knife. He had taken refuge in a toilet and threatened to carry out an attack. Police were able to open the toilet, overpower the man, and take him into custody while he was handcuffed.
That evening the ICE was inspected for potential explosive devices. Consequently, the ICE 19’s onward journey to Frankfurt was cancelled.
