Several injuries and fatalities were reported at a festival in Germany this week, prompting officials to call for residents to evacuate.

On Friday, the Associated Press (AP)—citing the local news agency dpa—reported that several people were killed following a random attack at a festival in the German city of Solingen.

Solinger Tageblatt, a local newspaper in the area, said that law enforcement officials called on residents of Solingen to evacuate the downtown area.

The report from the dpa news agency, citing unnamed police sources, indicated that the weapon used in the attack was believed to be a knife, and no arrests had been made. The incident occurred at Fronhof, a central square.

The organizers of the festival, Philipp Müller, also announced on stage that first responders were working to save nine people involved in the attack, the AP reported.

An attack at a German festival has reportedly left several dead and others injured.
An attack at a German festival has reportedly left several dead and others injured.

The festival celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary kicked off on Friday and was scheduled to continue through Sunday. Solingen, a city of roughly 160,000 residents, is situated near the larger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.