A bomb blast that killed the driver of a car in central Berlin may be linked to organised crime gangs, police say.
"Police are investigating with full force in all directions - that includes the possibility of an altercation surrounding organised crime networks," a police spokesman told DPA.
The explosion that struck the silver Volkswagen Passat happened on Tuesday morning at a busy intersection in the western Charlottenburg district.
The car overturned as a result of the blast, then rammed into a parked vehicle.
Its driver, identified by police as a 43-year-old man, tried to free himself from the wreckage, but was declared dead shortly thereafter.
No one else was hurt.
Berlin police said there was no indication the explosion was a terrorist attack, and that officers were still investigating whether the man was the intended target.
"There was an extremely loud bang and you could feel a tremor from a kilometre away," a witness told Berlin's BZ newspaper.
Police tweeted video footage of the scene of the explosion as officers checked to see if there were any further explosives.
In the clip, an officer warns nearby residents to stay away from their windows and keep doors closed.
Police later concluded that there were no further explosive devices at the scene and told residents they could reopen their windows and doors.
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