Danish hotel blast 'may be terror-related'

A small explosion at a Copenhagen hotel could be terror-related, Danish officials said today.

The blast yesterday – a day before the anniversary of the September 11 2001 terror attacks on the US – caused only minor damage to a hotel bathroom and prompted Danish authorities to “slightly” raise the country’s terror alert.

No-one was hurt except for the French-speaking suspect, who sustained slight injuries.

The man was arrested on Friday in a central Copenhagen park after being seen running from the blast site. Officers used a remote-controlled robot to detach a pack from his waist, fearing it could contain explosives.

Police said a gun and two loaded magazines were found at the hotel.

The suspect’s identity has not yet been fully established, but police described him as being in his 40s. They said he was refusing to cooperate with authorities.

Speaking through a translator at a custody hearing today, the man said he couldn’t remember his name or age. He used crutches, with part of his right leg missing, and Danish media said he was believed to have a prosthetic leg.

The man also denied preliminary charges of intending to harm others by an explosion and firearms possession. Preliminary charges are a step short of formal charges, but if they are formally filed and he is convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

The man was ordered to be held until October 4.

It was not clear if the explosion was terror related, but “there are circumstances that point in the direction of a failed terror attack,” intelligence service chief Jakob Scharf said in a statement.