Germany: Three killed in knife attack in Solingen

Three people have been killed and another four seriously injured in a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen, police say.

The attack happened during a festival in the city centre on Friday evening. The attacker is reported to be still at large.

Bild website says a man randomly stabbed passers-by. A manhunt is now under way, with police helicopters seen hovering above the city.

The industrial city was celebrating 650 years since it was founded.

The city authorities asked people to leave the Fronhof market area and police are imposing security cordons.

Emergency crews at the scene are now treating the injured, media reports say.

Philipp Müller, one of the festival organisers, said the emergency crews were fighting for the lives of nine people, the Solinger Tageblatt newspaper reports.

“People are shocked, but left the square peacefully,” Mr Müller said.

Eyewitness Lars Breitzke told the newspaper that he knew something was wrong when he saw a singer on stage with a strange expression on their face.

“And then a person fell over just a metre away from me,” he said.

In a Facebook statement, Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach said: “Tonight all of us in Solingen are in shock, horror and great sadness. We all wanted to celebrate our city anniversary together and now we have to mourn the dead and injured.

“It breaks my heart that an attack has happened in our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we’ve lost. I pray for all those still fighting for their lives. Also my greatest sympathy for all those who had to experience this, these images must have been horrific.”

Solingen – a city in Rhineland-Westphalia famous for its steel industry – has about 160,000 inhabitants. It lies about 15 miles (25 km) east of Düsseldorf and north east of Cologne.