Explosion in Pasching: ATM blast causes night terrors!

Explosion in Pasching: ATM blast causes night terrors!

When an ATM was blown up at night in Pasching, Upper Austria, on February 21, 2025, there was a huge bang that woke many residents from their sleep. According to reports from 5min.at, the explosion occurred around 3:30 a.m., with the perpetrators failing to access the cash as only the ATM cover was damaged. After the failed execution of the crime, the police launched a large-scale search for the fleeing perpetrators. The special Cobra unit and search dogs were also deployed to check possible escape routes. Despite intensive controls, the search has so far been unsuccessful.

More than two decades earlier, on the night of February 4th to 5th, 1995, one of the worst politically motivated attacks took place in the Second Republic of Austria. In Oberwart, Їетыре Roma men were killed by an insidious bomb while trying to remove a xenophobic sign, the press reported. The explosion, which occurred on such a cold and clear night, had devastating effects and left an entire country shaken. Only after years of manhunt was it possible to catch the bomb maker Franz Fuchs, who was considered mentally unstable during the trial and was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment. His death in custody in 2000 brought this dark part of Austrian history to a sad end.

Connections and their meaning

The two incidents, although in different time periods and contexts, illustrate a worrying problem of violence in Austria. While the current ATM explosion points to a possible crime wave, the murderous attack in Oberwart remains a frightening example of the extreme violence that can result from xenophobic motives. The past always catches up with us and efforts to ensure security and peace in society remain central.