Three people were killed and four seriously injured in a knife attack in the German city of Solingen

Three people have died and four others are seriously injured in a knife attack At the Variety Festival in Solingen, Germany, As reported by local media and confirmed by police.

a man “of Arab appearance”, According to eyewitnesses, he attacked passersby indiscriminately with a knife during the city festival.

The attack happened in the central Frohnhof square and the suspect remains a fugitive,

“All of us in Solingen are in shock. We wanted to celebrate the anniversary of our city and now we have to mourn the dead and grieve the injured. I have tears in my eyes and my heart is broken. I think of those who have died and I pray for those who are still fighting for their lives,” the city’s mayor said. Tim Kurzbach, On Facebook.

According to the organisers, nine people are still at risk of death.

The celebration, dubbed the “Festival of Diversity,” was cancelled, while roads are closed and the city’s residents told to stay in their homes, the paper reported. Building Citing local police.

The celebration, marking the city’s 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was to last until Sunday. They were expected over the weekend At least 80,000 visitors. Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants and is located near Cologne and Düsseldorf.

A few days ago, the German Interior Minister, Nancy Feser, He was particularly concerned about the increase in knife attacks near railway stations. For this reason, he asked that the law be amended so that only bladed edged weapons are allowed for use. up to six centimetres on public transport, instead of the currently allowed 12 centimeters. “Knives are used to commit brutal acts that can cause serious injury or death,” Fesser said in a statement to public broadcaster ARD. “We need stricter gun laws and tighter controls,” he added.

According to police statistics, 9,000 cases of knife injuries were recorded in Germany last year, up 5.6% on the previous year.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has accused “immigration policy” of increase in cases.

“we have a Explosion of foreign crime, Youth crime, migrant violence, because our borders are open,” AfD co-leader Alice Weidel criticized on German network ZDF last July.

The killing of a police officer by an Afghan refugee in Manhagen last May again rang alarm bells. The officer was stabbed by a man who attacked a known anti-Islam terrorist and four other people with a knife.