Some 5,500 employees at the base near the Cologne-Bonn airport were told not to drink the tap water because of possible contamination on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
A German military base near Cologne was temporarily closed off on Wednesday after suspicions arose its water supply had been tampered with in an act of sabotage.
The Cologne-Wahn base, which employs around 5,500 people, including some 1,200 civilians, was put on alert and cordoned off after damage to its fence was found in a remote part of its perimeter.
The employees at the base were told not to drink the tap water because of possible contamination and samples have been taken for analysis.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz confirmed suspicions of attempted or actual illegal entry.
The base’s barracks were sealed off for several hours in case a perpetrator or perpetrators were on the grounds, but none was found and the gates were reopened Wednesday lunchtime, military spokesperson Ulrich Fonrobert said.
Speaking outside the barracks, Fonrobert said the alarm had been triggered by a report of “abnormal water values,” which he didn’t elaborate. An evaluation of the facility’s drinking water was still ongoing.
The base, in close proximity to the Cologne-Bonn airport and the town of Porz, hosts Bundeswehr’s Air Transport Wing, which is in charge of the aircraft used by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz when travelling abroad.
Law enforcement and military intelligence continue to investigate the possible sabotage.
Additional sources • AP
