Cologne nail bomb injures 16

A suspected nail bomb blast rocked a Cologne shopping street today, injuring 16 people, four seriously.

Several buildings were damaged and chunks of debris and broken glass littered the street in the Muelheim suburb of the Germany city after the explosion.

“We are treating this as a bomb explosion,” police spokesman Burkhard Jahn said.

Jahn said he had no immediate information on who might have carried out an attack or why.

A pizzeria and a hairdresser’s salon were severely damaged in the explosion. Most of the injured were in that part of the street, said fire brigade spokesman Stefan Lakenbrink.

He said 16 people were injured, including four seriously. One was in a critical condition.

Local radio reports said “thousands” of nails were lying on the street and speculated they were part of the bomb.