Multiple people were killed and injured in an attack on Friday at a festival in the city of Solingen in western Germany, the German news agency dpa reported. Düsseldorf police spokesperson Anja Kynast told CBS News that at least three people were killed and four others wounded in the attack. Solingen is located roughly 18 miles (30 kilometers) from Düsseldorf.
The local Solinger Tageblatt newspaper reported that authorities called on people to leave downtown Solingen and that one of the festival organizers, Philipp Müller, said on a stage that emergency workers were fighting for the lives of nine people.
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In a social media post, Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach wrote that the city was “in shock, fright and great sadness. We all wanted to celebrate our city anniversary together and now we have to mourn the dead and injured.”
The dpa report cited unidentified police sources as saying the weapon was believed to be a knife and no one had yet been arrested. The attack happened on a central square, the Fronhof.
The festival marking the city’s 650th anniversary began on Friday and was supposed to run through Sunday.
Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.