THREE people have been killed and four others seriously injured in a stabbing attack at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, authorities said.
At about 10pm local time on Friday (20:00 GMT) a single, unidentified man attacked multiple people with a knife and the perpetrator remains at large, police said.
Police said the attack occurred at a festival to honour Solingen’s 650th anniversary, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany’s most populous and bordering the Netherlands.
Fatal stabbings and shootings in Germany are relatively uncommon.
“It tears my heart apart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost,” Solingen Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach said in a statement. “I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives.”
“This evening, we are all facing shock, horror and great sadness in Solingen. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together, and now we have to mourn dead and injured people,” Kurzbach wrote.
The Bild newspaper reported that the assailant had fled the scene after attacking festival-goers seemingly at random.
The attack took place at the Fronhof, a market square in Solingen where live music was taking place. Law enforcement has cordoned off the city centre as investigations are under way.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show festival organiser Philipp Muller at the event, announcing that nine people were fighting for their lives after the attack.
The “Festival of Diversity” began on Friday and was scheduled to be a weekend-long event, designed to celebrate the city’s 650th birthday.
