Share

Three wounded in Cologne hostage-taking

German police said on Monday they ended a hostage-taking in a pharmacy in Cologne's main train station, gravely wounding the alleged perpetrator after he himself injured two people.

"Special response units overpowered the man. During the police action he hurt two bystanders, one of them seriously," police said in a statement.

The attacker had to be resuscitated and was in intensive care for "extremely serious" injuries sustained when officers stormed the shop, they added.

"The motive of the attacker remains unclear," a spokesperson said soon after he was subdued.

A woman held hostage by the perpetrator was only "lightly wounded", police tweeted shortly after she was freed around 15:00 (1300 GMT).

But another victim, a 14-year-old girl, was brought to hospital suffering from burns.

Eyewitnesses said the teenager had been in a cafe close to the pharmacy immediately before the hostage-taking.

Police set up a webpage where members of the public could upload pictures and video related to the incident, while their own investigations were "at full pitch".

They began receiving calls about the violence around lunchtime.

An eyewitness told journalists how she heard screams and saw "a girl running for her life" from the cafe with flames spreading up her leg, before she was helped by bystanders.

First responders arrived around 12:45 at the central station directly next to Cologne's twin-spired cathedral, locking the whole building down.

As members of the public were ordered to leave the area as quickly as possible, state rail operator Deutsche Bahn shut down the busy main train station in Cologne - a major hub for rail travel through North Rhine-Westphalia state and nationwide.

Officers initially said they were in contact with the hostage-taker to determine his demands and whether he was armed.

But shortly afterwards police commandos stormed the pharmacy with stun grenades.

"The perpetrator is under control. Police measures are continuing," Cologne police wrote on Twitter just after the special unit assaulted the shop.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 361 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 497 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.44
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
906.59
+1.1%
Palladium
1,012.66
+1.1%
Gold
2,221.55
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE