- In Karlsruhe, the police are on site with a large contingent because of a suspected hostage-taking.
- One or more hostages were taken in a pharmacy.
- The crime is still going on, said a spokesman for the German Press Agency (DPA) early Friday evening.
Big concern in Karlsruhe: a suspected kidnapping in a pharmacy kept the city in suspense for hours. The police are in action with a large contingent, and are still pulling together more and more emergency services on Friday evening, as the German Press Agency learned from police circles.
Legend:
The police on their mission in Karlsruhe.
Martin Oversohl/dpa
The first emergency calls were received around 4:30 p.m., according to the DPA report. One or more perpetrators are said to have taken at least one hostage in a pharmacy in the middle of the city center. The police initially did not provide information on the number of perpetrators and hostages – for operational reasons.
The crime scene is in the middle of downtown Karlsruhe on one of the main streets. The forces cordoned off the area over a wide area. Numerous police and rescue service vehicles were seen on the street.
One is in contact with the alleged hostage-taker or the hostage-takers, said a police spokesman on site. According to the current status, there is no danger to the population. Nevertheless, the police called on people to avoid the area of operation and to follow the instructions of the emergency services.
A school for accommodation was opened for residents. The police said that anyone who could not go home at the moment because of the blocking measures had the opportunity to go to the Nebenius elementary school in Karlsruhe.
Fair cancels events
The Karlsruhe trade fair canceled two evening events at short notice because of the incident. An event with dog trainer Martin Rütter and a master concert are affected, said a spokeswoman for the fair on Friday on request.
There is currently no way for visitors to get through anyway: both venues are part of the festival site, which is close to the site that the police have cordoned off over a large area.