Three injured by exploding letter, says German supermarket chain Lidl

Stuttgart (dpa) – Three people were injured when the contents of a letter exploded at an office building belonging to German discount supermarket chain Lidl, according to company officials and the police on Wednesday.

The blast in the southern town of Neckarsulm happened at 2:50 pm (1350 GMT).

“We are deeply shaken by the incident and wish a full and speedy recovery to our colleagues,” read a company statement. All three involved in the incident are receiving medical care.

One person was moderately injured while the two others received slight wounds, the law enforcement officials said.

A large police operation was under way in the industrial area, where the chain’s corporate headquarters are located.

Specialist teams searched the premise with explosive detection dogs but no other suspicious items were found.

The police was also investigating if there was a connection to an incident Tuesday at a beverage manufacturer in the nearby town of Eppelheim, in which a package reportedly combusted and left one person injured.