UPDATE 16:03 EST:
Unsubstantiated reports of an “ambulance”, actually a truck disguised as an emergency vehicle, laden with explosives remain unconfirmed. However, Hannover police have now shut down and evacuated subway and train stations.
UPDATE 14:31 EST:
Radio1 is reporting that police are paying special attention to an ambulance that is now being looked at by a bomb disposal unit in Hannover.
UPDATE 14:20 EST:
Dutch Radio1 is now reporting that a man has been taken into custody about 1km from the Hannover stadium.
The national radio station is also now claiming that an explosive device was found in the Hannover stadium by police and bomb disposal teams are on the scene.
UPDATE 13:57 EST:
Today’s game between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled just as spectators were taking their seats in Hannover today. Angela Merkel and several of her cabinet officials were expected to be in attendance as well as their Dutch cabinet counterparts.
Police spokeswoman Stephanie Weiss told the Associated Press a suspicious object was found at the stadium. That, however, was deemed a “non-threat” and the game was given the go ahead. That changed about an hour later when police reportedly saw suspicious looking men outside of the stadium causing the second evacuation of the HDI-Arena.
Police told soccer fans, “Move away from the stadium. Do not stand still.”
According to Radio1.nl, the security concerns are not limited to the now cancelled match with police calling for the evacuation of a concert hall as well as an ice rink in Hannover.
The cancelling of the match occurred at roughly the same time as a female passenger who was apparently intoxicated attempted to open an exit door on a Boston-bound British Airways flight on Tuesday, the woman was restrained by passengers and taken into custody by Massachusetts State Troopers.
Also on Tuesday, Russian investigators revealed that it was indeed a bomb that brought down a charter flight over the Sinai peninsula which killed over 200 passengers and crew most of which were Russian.
Following the attacks in Paris last Friday which included the detonation of three bombs outside France’s national stadium, officials in Hannover have called off today’s match between Germany and the Netherlands. The Paris attacks saw a suicide bomber attempt to enter the stadium where he would presumably have detonated his explosive vest. Instead, following the discovery of his explosive idea, security denied him entry at which point he detonated his vest. With France playing host to the 2016 Euro Championships, security has taken an even higher priority.
