BERLIN, September 16. /TASS/. An explosion occurred in the center of Cologne (German state of North Rhine-Westphalia), prompting the law enforcement agencies to block off the area of the incident, the local newspaper Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger reported.

As indicated by the Cologne police, the incident occurred on the Hohenzollernring between Rudolfplatz and Ehrenstrasse, details remaining unknown.

The Express newspaper quoted a law enforcement official saying that the explosion occurred at around 05:50 local time (06:50 Moscow Time). As eyewitnesses noted, after the explosion a fire broke out. However, the firefighters who got to the scene indicated that nothing needed to be extinguished by the time they arrived.

According to preliminary data, no one was injured. "We have blocked off the area, the investigation is ongoing," police commented on the incident.