A letter bomb sent to German President Joachim Gauck was intercepted and detonated in a controlled explosion by security experts on Friday, his office said, according to dpa. The letter is believed to have contained a substance drawn from a high explosive material called hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD). It was safely detonated in a park near the president's residence in central Berlin, a police spokesman said. Police have launched an investigation and would not comment on the contents of the letter or who might have sent it. Gauck was not at his residence, Bellevue Palace, when the letter bomb was discovered. Officials said that none of the president's staff were ever in any danger. German media reports say the letter bomb was discovered during a routine inspection in the president's office. -- SPA 18:55 LOCAL TIME 15:55 GMT تغريد
