The German Chancellor was appalled by the attack on the Borussia Dortmund football team's bus, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Wednesday. "It is a despicable act. We are only relieved that there were not more casualties."
2 min reading time
Like everyone in Dortmund and millions across the country and elsewhere, Chancellor Angela Merkel was appalled by news of the attack on the bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team. Government spokesperson Steffen Seibert called it "a despicable act". We are only relieved that there were not more casualties, he added. It was bad enough that two people had been injured.
Around 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday evening three explosions occurred beside the coach carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team. The bus had just left the hotel in the Höchsten district of Dortmund on its way to the stadium ahead of the Champions League match against AS Monaco. Central defender Marc Bartra and a police officer were injured in the attack. The match was cancelled and postponed until Wednesday.
"Our thoughts and good wishes go to those who were injured," the government spokesman said. "We wish both a full recovery." Chancellor Merkel had spoken by telephone with Hans-Joachim Watzke, the team's chief executive, on Wednesday morning, he said. She had thanked the team, fans of both teams and the police for reacting calmly.
Now it was up to the investigating authorities to find out who was behind the attack, Seibert added. Everything was being done to find the perpetrator or perpetrators and to bring them to justice.
On Tuesday evening (11 April) the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office had taken over the investigations into the attack on the Borussia Dortmund football team bus.
In the aftermath of the explosions close to the Borussia Dortmund team bus Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière insisted that the motives needed to be established. "My thoughts are with the team," the Minister tweeted on Tuesday evening. "Now we need to establish the motives." He hoped that by Wednesday the spotlight would again be on football itself.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said that de Maizière would be travelling to Dortmund to attend the match on Wednesday evening as a sign of solidarity.
Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas was also horrified by the events in Dortmund. "Shocking news," the Minister tweeted on Tuesday evening. "Our thoughts are with @BVB. You'll never walk alone!"