Three people were killed and at least five others severely injured in a knife attack at a festival in western Germany on Friday, August 23, authorities said. The attack occurred when the “Festival of Diversity” was being celebrated in the city of Solingen. Witnesses reported to authorities at around 9:30 p.m. (local time) that a stranger had been knapping people in the center square with a knife.
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The authorities after investigation of the scene said that it was a deliberate attack on human life but refrained from speculating on the reason. A festival organizer after the attack asked the Attendees to "go calmly; please keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the attacker hasn't been caught”.
“Festival of Diversity”
The "Festival of Diversity" was set to take place over the weekend and feature a variety of activities like cabaret, acrobatics, and live music in honor of Solingen's 650th anniversary. However, in light of the incident, the city decided to cancel the rest of the festival.It was expected to draw up to 75,000 people over three days.
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Grief from Mayor
The mayor of the city, Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, expressed the city’s incident as “shock, horror, and great grief”. He said, “It tears my heart apart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost,” further he said, “I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives.”
An Increase in Germany's Knife Attacks
While shootings and stabbings that result in fatalities are not common in Germany, the past year has seen an increase in knife attacks in the nation. A similar occurrence occurred in late May at a far-right protest in Mannheim, where a knife attack resulted in the death of a police officer and the wounding of five others. The German government has been attempting to tighten laws about the carrying of knives in public by lowering the maximum length of the allowed blade.
Inputs by Agencies
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