Munich'sOktoberfestwas temporarily closed on Wednesday, Oct. 1, over a bomb threat in a letter written by a suspect accused of starting a deadly house fire, police said. A 57-year-old German man,identified by Munich policeas the source of the threat, was found dead a few miles away from where he allegedly torched his parents' home while the family was inside, and was later found with an explosives-laden backpack. According to police, the suspect died by suicide. "We haven't found anything unusual that could be related to this potential threat scenario," a Munich police spokesperson told reporters. Police said the search involved nearly 30 bomb-sniffing dogs from across Bavaria, a state in southern Germany. The festival reopened later in the evening after police found nothing suspicious there. Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of the state of Bavaria, where Munich is the capital, said: "It was the right thing to do to take it seriously." The festival, which kicked off on Sept. 20, runs through this weekend andconcludes on Sunday, Oct. 5. Thursday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 3: 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 4: 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday, Oct. 5: 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The suspect's 81-year-old mother and 21-year-old daughter suffered unspecified injuries during the incident and were taken to a hospital,ABC News reported, citing police. The investigation also revealed "possible connections to other locations in Munich," including the Theresienwiese festival grounds, where Oktoberfest is underway. Police reported "explosive traps" were also detected. Police swept the area, later determined to be clear, and attendees were allowed to re-enter the venue. The Oktoberfest, which last year attracted 6.7 million visitors who consumed approximately 7 million liters of beer, reopened at 5:30 p.m. local time, according to its website. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Oktoberfest in Munich delayed Wednesday after bomb threat
