UPDATE - German police investigating explosion in Cologne’s city center

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; REVISES DECK, LEAD; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - An explosion outside a nightclub rocked Cologne’s city center on Monday morning, triggering a large-scale police operation in the area.

The explosion occurred at approximately 5:50 a.m. local time (0350GMT) on the ground floor of a building on the Hohenzollernring street, and damaged shop fronts and display windows.

The police said one person was slightly injured by the blast, and investigations teams were collecting evidence at the scene of the explosion. Security cameras captured a suspect as he detonated an explosive device at the entrance of the building, according to local media reports.

Cologne’s police department has appealed for witnesses and asked anyone with information to contact them and assist in the investigation.

“We’re searching for a man who ran away in the direction of Friesenplatz after the explosion. He was wearing a white and blue jacket, dark trousers and dark sneakers,” the police said.