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CRIME

Father blows himself up in car after family row

A father blew himself up in a car following a domestic dispute, police in Homberg, Hesse, said on Sunday.

Father blows himself up in car after family row
Photo: DPA
Seven people, including two police officers, were injured in the blast that threw the vehicle into the air. 
 
Multiple houses and cars were damaged in the explosion, including two police vehicles. Dozens of officers and multiple ambulances were called to the aftermath.  
 
"There's nothing left of the car that exploded. The engine flew 30 metres," a police spokesman said.
 
The full cost of the damage has yet to be determined. Houses as far as 500 metres from the blast were also hit by debris. 
 
Police were called to the scene when the 49-year-old, who worked with explosives, threatened to harm his family late on Saturday night. Following the argument, he drove off. The wife and one of his daughters went to the neighbours. The other daughter was not at home at the time.
 
Police were waiting as the man came back home. It was then that he detonated the car, sending it up into the air. 
 
Photo: DPA
 
What drove the man to take such drastic action is not yet clear. 
 
"The people here are in shock and we haven't been able to question anybody," police spokesperson Wolfgang Keller said. 
 
The neighbourhood has since been evacuated and the city of Homberg has provided housing for those affected. Police are warning those in the area not to use mobile phones for fear that unspent fuses could lead to further damage. 
 
 

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BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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