BERLIN: At least eight people were wounded, two of them seriously, in a suspected knife attack on a bus in the northern German city of Luebeck, the local Luebecker Nachrichten newspaper reported on Friday.
Earlier, police in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, where Luebeck is located, tweeted that there was a major police deployment underway in the city.
“There is currently a major police deployment in Luebeck,” the police force wrote. “We are examining the situation and will give more information later.”
The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach close to the city of Luebeck, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, Luebecker Nachrichten reported, quoting an unnamed witness.
The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website.
“The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife,” a witness living close to the scene told the daily.
A police car which happened to be close by was able to get to the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the perpetrator, added the report.
Police quoted by national news agency DPA said there were no fatalities, and did not give a motive for the assault.
According to Luebecker Nachrichten, the attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s.
* With Reuters and AFP
