Manhunt underway

“A murder mystery!” – ATMs blown up in Lower Austria

The ATM at the Raika branch in Drosendorf was blown up.

(Bild: Molnar Attila/Attila Molnar)

Explosions, gunshots, homemade bombs? Much is still unclear about what happened in Drosendorf, a town of 1200 inhabitants in Lower Austria. But what is clear is that unknown perpetrators attempted to blow up two ATMs in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"It was a killer blast," says an earwitness from Drosendorf, who wishes to remain anonymous, describing the loud bang that initially led him to believe that two cars had collided at high speed. In reality, however, it was the ATM of the Raika branch in the Waldviertel town near the border with the Czech Republic that was blown up in the early hours of the morning at around 4 am.

Cross-border manhunt
The police are investigating at full speed and a large-scale cross-border manhunt has so far been unsuccessful. It is suspected that the perpetrators fled across the border. The Provincial Police Directorate (LPD) points out that the investigation is still at an early stage and can report little certainty so far.

Defusing service secured crime scenes
The defusing service - as is usual for every blast - was on site to ensure that the crime scene team could work safely. In the event of explosions or attempted explosions, it is always possible that the perpetrators will resort to homemade explosives, which are highly dangerous at any time.

A stone's throw between the two ATMs
It is currently assumed that the two ATMs in the village have been blown up or attempted to be blown up. There are two streets and a park between the two ATMs. That is about 60 meters or a one-minute walk. The second ATM is located in a branch of the savings bank.

Shots fired ...
There are also reports of shots being fired, which the provincial police directorate cannot yet confirm with certainty. However, it is likely that a local resident fired at the perpetrators or their getaway car after the blast.