Hostage situation in Germany – allegedly demanding a ransom

The police in the German city of Karlsruhe confirm that there is an ongoing hostage situation in a pharmacy in the center of the city, near the convention center.

At least one person has been taken hostage, reports say Focus.de. The police are on the scene with large forces, writes the local newspaper Ka-news.de.

The hostage-taking reportedly began at 4:30 p.m.

– The incident is still ongoing, says a spokesperson from the police Bild.de.

According to Focus, the police are in contact with the hostage or hostage takers, but for tactical reasons do not want to say anything about the number of people in the pharmacy.

The newspaper Stuttgart News claims to have information that there is one perpetrator who has taken two people hostage.

According to the newspaper, the perpetrator is demanding a ransom of a single digit million.

The street Ettlinger Strasse is closed in both directions. A fair event and a concert have been cancelled, because the congress center is within the cordons of the police.

– The police have asked all the shops in the area to close. The whole street is closed, says an eyewitness to Bild.

The police urge people in the city to stay away from the area. In a post on Twitter, residents who cannot go home due to the police blockades are asked to meet at another address.

Karlsruhe is located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the south-west of the country. Just over 300,000 people live in the city.

The case is updated.