UPDATE, 12:45 Police called off a bomb threat this morning after a suspicious car that was crudely equipped with copper tubing and wires leading to a car battery was found in a parking cellar in central Copenhagen.
According to spokesperson Hans Sinding, it was actually a science experiment designed to try and recover electricity as the car moved
“Even though it looked like a bomb, thankfully it wasn’t a bomb,” Sinding told TV2 News, adding that the car's Swedish owner, who they had spoken to, would not be charged.
“He didn’t have any evil intentions, but we now need to assess what happened.”
Police initially thought the car was wired up as one big car bomb and a large perimeter around the building was closed off and people were evacuated from nearby buildings. Police have lifted both restrictions.
UPDATE, 12:15 A suspicious car that may have been rigged as a bomb was found this morning in a parking cellar in central Copenhagen.
TV2 News reports that the car, a purple VW Golf with Swedish number plates, was discovered at 9:30 this morning in the parking cellar on Landgreven 2.
“I saw copper pipes hanging underneath the car and I was too curious not to take a closer look,” parking steward Christian Markussen told TV2. “I saw both copper pipes and red cables running underneath the car and through the car window to a car battery.”
The parking cellar is on a side street to Store Kongensgade and is in a building that houses a number of state offices including the modernisation agency (Moderniseringsstryelsen), the state auditors (Rigsrevisionen), and the digitalisation agency (Digitaliseringsstyrelsen).
Copenhagen Police confirmed the find and have evacuated nearby buildings and cordoned off a 50 meter radius around the building.
“Down in Landgreven 2 we have found a vehicle that we think looks like is prepared as a bomb,” Copenhagen Police spokesperson Hans Sinding told state broadcaster DR. “It is very suspicious.”
He added: “The bomb disposal robot has been called and we have stopped all the traffic in the area and have started evacuations.”
Ritzau reports that the military bomb experts are examining the vehicle remotely using a bomb disposal robot and that the parking cellar owners are examining CCTV to help police determine who parked the car.
The streets around Gothersgade, Dronning Tværgade, Borgergade and Store Kongensegade have been closed.
UPDATE, 11:08 Police say they were alerted to the vehicle after a passerby noticed suspicious wires poking out.
The vehicle is parked in parking cellar on Landgreven 2, a side street to Store Kongensgade.
ORIGINAL STORY, 10:45 A suspected bomb in a vehicle has led police to cordon off a large area of central Copenhagen
“On [the street] Landgreven 2 we have found a vehicle that we think looks like is prepared as a bomb,” Copenhagen Police spokesperson Hans Sinding told state broad caster DR.
He added that a bomb disposal robot had been sent for.
“The bomb disposal robot has been called and we have stopped all the traffic in the area and have started evacuations,” he explained.
He added: “This is a serious situation.”
