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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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Several injuries and fatalities were reported at a festival in Germany this week, prompting officials to call for residents to evacuate.
On Friday, the Associated Press (AP)—citing the local news agency dpa—reported that several people were killed following a random attack at a festival in the German city of Solingen.
Solinger Tageblatt, a local newspaper in the area, said that law enforcement officials called on residents of Solingen to evacuate the downtown area.
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The report from the dpa news agency, citing unnamed police sources, indicated that the weapon used in the attack was believed to be a knife, and no arrests had been made. The incident occurred at Fronhof, a central square.
A spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry confirmed to RTL, a German news agency, that at least three people had died in the attack.
The organizers of the festival, Philipp Müller, also announced on stage that first responders were working to save nine people involved in the attack, the AP reported.
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The festival celebrating the city's 650th anniversary kicked off on Friday and was scheduled to continue through Sunday. Solingen, a city of roughly 160,000 residents, is situated near the larger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.
According to the BBC, the suspected attacker in the incident is believed to have fled the scene, and police helicopters were actively circling the area in search for the individual.
The German newspaper Bild reported that there was a heavy police presence near the festival following the incident, including special forces units and special forces vehicles.
"People are shocked but left the square peacefully," the organizer of the festival Philip Müller reportedly said following the incident.
Celine Derikartz, a reporter for the Solinger Tageblatt, said of the response to the attack: "The atmosphere is spooky."
According to Derikartz, the festival's mood quickly shifted as the attack began and attendees came up to her in tears.
"The Neumarkt has now been largely cleared and emptied quickly. People who had come to the Festival of Diversity by public transport are gathering at the bus stops," the Solinger Tageblatt reported.
According to the RTL news agency, the mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach, spoke about the attack later on Friday, saying: "I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost."
"This evening we are all in 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. 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," Kurzbach said in a post on social media, according to RTL.
The mayor continued, "I pray for everyone who is still fighting for their lives.I also have great sympathy for all the people who had to witness this; it must have been terrible images. I thank all the rescue and security forces for their efforts. I ask you, if you believe, to pray with me and if not, then to hope with me."
Update 08/23/24 6:51 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information.
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