BERLIN

At least three people were killed and several others were injured in a knife attack during a music festival in Germany’s western city of Solingen, local media reported late Friday.

At around 9:45 p.m. local time (1945GMT), a man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife at Solingen’s city center, Bild newspaper reported.

A police spokesperson has confirmed that at least three people were killed in the attack, and 4 others were critically injured and were transferred to hospitals for treatment.

The attacker was believed to have fled the scene, and police have launched a manhunt to arrest the suspect, German news agency DPA reported.

Solingen police have asked the public to avoid the city center and stay off the streets while the operation was taking place.