Cologne Christmas Market Evacuated Due to Suspicious Suitcase

Police cleared the Rudolfplatz market Saturday night after an abandoned suitcase was found, later revealed to contain sand.

The evacuation of the Christmas market at Rudolfplatz in Cologne began around 9:50 PM, shortly before its scheduled closing time at 10 PM.
Security personnel discovered an unattended suitcase, prompting police to cordon off the area and call in a bomb disposal team.
Visitors were asked to leave the market calmly, and the surrounding area was secured with police tape.
Specialists from the Landeskriminalamt (LKA) arrived to inspect the suitcase, which was found to contain several kilograms of sand.
The incident caused minimal disruption as the market was near closing, and no threat was ultimately identified.