German police say “multiple” hostages held at Karlsruhe pharmacy

By Tom Sims

German police vehicles are seen at the scene of a hostage situation inside a pharmacy in Karlsruhe, Germany March 10, 2023 in this screen grab from video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS

KARLSRUHE, Germany, March 10 (Reuters) – German police said “multiple” hostages were being held in an ongoing hostage situation at a pharmacy in the southwestern German city of Karlsruhe on Friday but that there was no danger to the broader public.

In a joint statement with prosecutors, police said the hostages had not been injured.

The incident follows Thursday’s deadly rampage at a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in Hamburg, putting the country on edge. Gun violence is rare in Germany.

A large number of officers had been deployed to the site starting from around 4:30 pm local time, a police spokesperson said, but he declined to disclose for tactical reasons how many hostages were taken or how many police were on the ground.

Police had cordoned off Karlsruhe city centre where multiple blue and grey police vehicles with flashing lights lined the streets.

Earlier police had urged residents to avoid the surrounding area.

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