An explosion occurred in the center of Germany's western city of Cologne on Monday, media outlets reported, while the police said a "major police operation" was underway.

A building was badly damged in the incident.

North Rhine-Westphalia state police said a road between two central locations in Cologne, Rudolfplatz and Friesenplatz, was closed, calling on citizens to avoid the area. The Hohenzollernring neighborhood is known for its nightlife, and is full of bars and restaurants.

A police spokesman told reporters that there was no evidence of terrorism, but declined to comment on whether it was related to a spate of similar crimes linked to organize crime across the state in recent months.

Investigation underway

One person was lightly injured, authorities said. They added that they were currently reviewing surveillance footage leading up to the incident.

A fire deparment spokesman said that they had been called to the scene, but that no extinguishing work was necessary.

Police wrote on social media site X later on Monday morning that the road had been reopened, but did not comment on the cause of the explosion outside a nightclub.

es/rmt (dpa, Reuters)