Officials have intercepted a suspected bomb discovered inside luggage bound for an Air Berlin plane travelling from Namibia to Munich.
The discovery comes one day after Germany announced it was stepping up security following intelligence that a terrorist attack was planned for the country at the end of this month.
Namibian police discovered the package which contained a detonator and a running clock while the luggage was still in the terminal of Windhoek Airport on Wednesday.
Germany’s Federal Crime Office (BKA) said in a statement that an X-ray revealed "batteries that were attached with wires to a detonator and a ticking clock.
It added: “Only the ongoing forensic investigation will show whether this was a live explosive.”
Passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane following the discovery but the flight eventually went ahead six hours after scheduled take-off. Cargo from the flight, however, was kept at Windhoek.
by Dinah Hatch
