Escalating police presence at Hamburg Airport amidst grave situation
Authorities have beefed up their forces at Hamburg Airport in response to an ongoing crisis. Since Saturday evening, an armed man has held his four-year-old daughter hostage at the airport, prompting continued negotiations with the police.
Nov 5, 2023 | updated: 6:34 AM EST, November 5, 2023
The German news agency DPA reported on Sunday morning that additional police teams, inclusive of dog units, arrived at the scene. Armored police vehicles can also be seen. Drones are being used to monitor the airport from the sky.
According to police, negotiations with the man, who rammed his car into the airport gate on Saturday evening and drove onto the runway, are ongoing. He parked his vehicle next to an aircraft from a Turkish airline. The man is still holding his four-year-old daughter hostage.
Airport panel set ablaze, gunshots fired
Thomas Gerbert, a spokesperson for the Federal Police, relayed that as the man breached the airport perimeter, he tossed two flaming bottles out of the vehicle's window - akin to a Molotov cocktail.
Although the flame was rapidly extinguished, the risk of re-ignition led firefighters to douse the car with water for a period of time.
Police conjecture that a dispute over child custody could be the motivation behind the man's actions. As the hostage crisis continues, Hamburg Airport stays closed to traffic.
As reported by the "Bild" newspaper, the man fired several shots from inside his car before barricading himself within. However, no damages were reported, and the airport's fire brigade promptly extinguished the fire, as per service reports.
