German father blows himself up after family dispute

FRANKFURT (AFP) - A father blew up his car in front of his home after a family dispute, killing himself and injuring seven others in a small west German town.

The 49-year-old married father of two drove off from his home in Homberg while threatening to hurt himself and his family after a domestic row, German press agency DPA reported on Sunday.

Police were waiting at the house when the man returned and detonated the explosives, which he was licenced to possess.

The blast wounded seven people, including two police officers, leaving a crater in the ground and shattering widows on neighbouring homes.

"It pulled neighbours from their beds," said local police spokesman Thomas Rodemer, who added that "people are in shock and cannot be questioned immediately."

The father's exact motive remain unknown and police have launched an investigation into the explosion.

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