Borussia Dortmund's team bus hit with explosives before Champions League match, Marc Bartra injured

Wikinews
12 April 2017

Yesterday in Dortmund, Germany prior to the UEFA Champions League's quarter-final match against AS Monaco, explosives detonated near a bus carrying Borussia Dortmund (BVB)'s team, injuring defender Marc Bartra. The match was "postponed until Wednesday at 18:45 CET", read UEFA's official statement.

Spanish centre back Marc Bartra broke his radial bone of his right hand, and underwent an operation later at night, BVB reported. Goalkeeper Roman Bürki, who was next to Bartra in the bus told Blick that Bartra "was hit by fragments of the broken rear window" ((de)) .

Dortmund's police chief Gregor Lange said the explosions were reported at 19:15 CET. He said, "At 19:15 CET, there were three explosions in the vicinity of the hotel in which the BVB team had been guests and were leaving to travel to the stadium." ((de)) He said it was a "targeted attack on the BVB Team Bus". Police checked for further explosives using sniffer dogs. Gregor Lange said they discovered another explosive which did not detonate. They also found a letter claiming the responsibility of the attack, but the officials did not reveal its details.

Benedikt Höwedes, captain of Schalke 04, Dortmund's local rivals, tweeted, "Separated by color, united against violence! Best regards @MarcBarta and the whole team of @BVB [Borussia Dortmund], I hope you are all well! #BVBASM" ((de)) . AS Monaco supporters in the stadium yesterday were heard chanting "Dortmund! Dortmund!" after the accident was announced.

Dortmund asked their supporters to help away fans by providing them accommodation for a day by using #bedsforawayfans (beds for away fans) hashtag via social media. Dortmund announced stadium tours for Wednesday were canceled, via their official website. Increasing the security after the attack, Dortmund announced storage facilities at Signal Iduna Park would be closed and no backpacks bigger than A4 size would be permitted in the stadium.

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