Cologne/Recklinghausen (dpa/lnw) - Suspected ATM blasters caused an accident on Autobahn 1 in Cologne and fled on foot. The car, which according to previous knowledge is linked to an ATM blast in Wermelskirchen, collided with a guardrail while fleeing, as a spokesman for the Cologne police said on Tuesday. The accident happened without a pursuit. The search for several people initially continued. The car was totally damaged. It was initially unclear whether money was stolen when the ATM was blown up and how bad the damage was. The A1 towards Saarbrücken was closed during the rescue work.
Another ATM was blown up in Herten (Recklinghausen district) on Tuesday night. Witnesses observed four strangers who then fled, according to a police spokesman in Recklinghausen. A police helicopter was used to search for them, but initially without success. The bank building is not in danger of collapsing. Residents who had initially left their apartments were able to return to the building.
