Hundreds evacuated from German train after suspicious object found

Approximately 450 people had to leave an InterCity Express (ICE) train in northern Germany in the early hours of Saturday morning after a suspicious envelope was discovered on board, reported dpa.

The passengers were able to continue their journey after about three and a half hours, the police said.

The station in the small town of Elze in the district of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony was also cordoned off overnight, a police spokeswoman reported.

A suspicious A5 envelope was reportedly found in a toilet cubicle on the high-speed train. Consequently, the ICE made an additional stop at Elze station.

A shuttle transport was organized for the affected passengers to a nearby gymnasium.

According to a spokeswoman from German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, other trains were diverted.

Emergency services inspected the envelope and concluded their operation after several hours, the police spokeswoman said. Further details about the police operation were initially unknown.