A knife attack in the western German city of Solingen left three people dead and four others seriously injured, police said.
The attack took place during a festival in the city center on Friday night. The attacker is reportedly still at large.
The Bild website said a man randomly stabbed a passerby. A manhunt is underway, with police helicopters hovering over the city.
This industrial city is celebrating its 650th anniversary.
The city government asked people to leave the Fronhof market area, and the police were setting up a security cordon.
According to media reports, first responders were treating the injured at the scene.
According to Solinger Tagebatt, Philipp Müller, one of the festival organizers, said emergency personnel were fighting for the lives of nine people.
“People were shocked but left the square calmly,” Mr Mueller said.
Witness Lars Bretzke told the newspaper he knew something was wrong when he saw a strange look on the face of one of the singers on stage.
“Then a guy fell down just a meter away from me,” he said.
Solingen Mayor Tim Kurtzbach said in a statement on Facebook: “Tonight everyone in Solingen is shocked, horrified and deeply saddened. We all want to celebrate our city’s anniversary together. , but now we must mourn the dead and the injured.
“It breaks my heart that an attack has occurred in our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost. My prayers go out to all those who are still fighting for their lives. In the meantime, my heart goes out to all Deepest sympathies to the victims.
Later on Friday, Björn Boch, deputy editor of Solinger Tageblatt, told the BBC that the celebrations “were scheduled to last three days, with 25,000 people expected to attend each night in the city”.
“The city is packed,” he said, estimating that “a few thousand” people attended Friday’s free event.
The celebration has now been cancelled.
Solingen is a city in Rhineland-Westphalia, famous for its steel industry and with approximately 160,000 inhabitants. It is located approximately 15 miles (25 km) east of Dusseldorf and northeast of Cologne.
