One man was killed in a car explosion in the German capital during rush hour traffic Tuesday morning.
The deputy chief spokesman for Berlin police, Carsten Mueller, said investigators were working on the assumption that an explosive device on or inside the vehicle had caused the blast and killed the driver.
Mueller said investigators still were trying to determine the man's identity and were looking into all possible scenarios about the incident.
No one was injured in the blast despite heavy traffic.
The explosion took place on a busy street within sight of the Victory Column monument in Berlin's western Charlottenburg district. The car, a Volkswagen Passat, was heading toward the city center.
Berlin police sealed off the area and advised residents to stay indoors and keep their windows shut while they completed a sweep for other possible explosives.