A knife-wielding attacker attacked participants of a festival celebrating the 650th anniversary of the western German city of Solingen on Friday evening. There were dead and wounded, the dpa news agency reported. According to the daily “Bild”, at least three people died at the hands of the knife-wielding attacker.
The local newspaper “Solinger Tagblatt” reported that authorities had urged people to leave the centre of Solingen immediately, where a concert was taking place on the Fronhof market square. One of the organisers of the festival to mark the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen, Philipp Mueller, informed the audience from the stage that rescuers were fighting to save the lives of nine people. According to the daily “Bild”, at least three people were killed by the knife-man.
The mayor of the town, Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, confirmed in a statement that there were injuries and fatalities, but did not provide details.
“It breaks my heart that our city has been attacked. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost. I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives,” he said.
A knife attack took place during a festival in Solingen.Reuters
A large-scale police operation
Police have surrounded the market square, where thousands of people have gathered. Helicopters are circling the city. There is no information yet whether the attacker has been caught.
The Solingen 650th anniversary festival, which began on Friday and was to last until Sunday, was canceled. Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants and is located near Cologne and Duesseldorf.
There are fatalities and injuriesReuters
Main image source: Reuters