Three people have been killed and four were seriously wounded in an attack at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, police said.
The authorities also said that the perpetrator was on the run, German news agency dpa reported. A man reportedly stabbed passersby at random with a knife, the newspaper Bild said. The event occurred around 9.45pm local time.
The attacks occurred at a festival to mark town’s 650th anniversary. The stabbings took place at the Fronhof, a central market square in the town where live bands were playing.
Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, the mayor of Kurzbach, said in a statement that all in the town were in “in shock, horror and great grief” at the attack.
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“We all wanted to celebrate our city anniversary together and now have to mourn deaths and injuries. It breaks my heart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we lost. I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives.
“I also have my great sympathy for all the people who had to witness this, they must have been terrible images. I would like to thank all rescue and security forces for their commitment. I ask you, if you believe, pray with me and if not, then hope with me.”
One of the festival organisers, Philipp Muller, appeared on stage and asked festival-goers to “go calmly; please keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the perpetrator hasn’t been caught”.
He said many people had been wounded by “a knifeman”.
Solingen has around 160,000 inhabitants and is located near the bigger cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. The city is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, bordering the Netherlands.
The Festival of Diversity, marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was supposed to run through to Sunday, with several stages in central streets offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics. – Reuters/AP
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