Germany festival: Several dead and wounded in stabbing attack

Police and ambulances stand near the scene of a deadly knife attack at Solingen's 650th anniversary celebrations. Photo / Getty Images

Several people have been killed and others wounded after a man knifed passers-by at random at a festival in the western German city of Solingen today, newspaper Bild reports.

Bild said the incident occurred at about 9.45pm on Friday (local time) and that at least three people were dead and several were wounded.

Witnesses said the perpetrator was at large.

The local newspaper Solingen Tageblatt reported on its website that the attack occurred at a festival to honour the city’s 650 years.

Emergency services and police at the scene of an attack during the 650th anniversary celebrations of the city of Solingen. Photo / Getty Images

Local police said they were not yet able to comment.

Local news reports said the stabbings occurred at the Fronhof, a market square in the city where live bands were playing.

Solingen is in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany’s most populous and bordering the Netherlands.

Fatal stabbings and shootings in Germany are relatively uncommon.

In June, a 29-year-old policeman died after being stabbed in the German city of Mannheim during an attack on a right-wing demonstration.

There was a stabbing attack on a train in 2021 that left several people injured.