'Several dead and wounded' in German stabbing attack

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 town's 650 years.

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 town 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, injuring several.