World
Solingen stabbing: Three killed and five seriously injured in knife attack at German festival – as suspect on the run
Three people have been killed and five were seriously injured in a knife attack at a German festival, police have said.
They added the “perpetrator” had fled the scene and was still at large, saying they believed the stabbings were carried out by a lone attacker.
Passers-by were reportedly stabbed at random in a market square in the western city of Solingen at about 9.45pm local time.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The attack took place at a festival in the western city of Solingen
Police put the number of seriously injured at five, but the region’s top security official, Herbert Reul, gave a figure of six as he visited the scene in the early hours of Saturday.
“None of us knows why” the attack took place, said Mr Reul.
“I can’t say anything about the motive now” and it isn’t clear who the assailant was, he also said, adding that the attacker had left the scene “relatively quickly.”
According to Sky News’ European correspondent Siobhan Robbins, a police operation in the area is still ongoing.
People had gathered for the Festival of Diversity which started on Friday to mark the 650th anniversary of the 160,000-strong city.
It was supposed to run through to Sunday, with several stages in the city offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
Pic: AP
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The festival has now been stopped and people have been told to leave the area, Robbins said.
Solingen is in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state and bordering the Netherlands.
‘It breaks my heart’
The city’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach, said he would be praying for the victims.
In a Facebook post, he said “this evening, we in Solingen are all in shock. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament”.
He added: “It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.