Shots rang out in Vienna on Monday evening.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz spoke of a terrorist attack.
What is known so far and what is still unclear.
The Austrian capital
Vienna became
the site of an attack on Monday evening.
Shots
have been
fired
- there appear to be injuries.
One perpetrator was shot, one passerby died (see update from November 2, 11.43 p.m.)
What is known so far and what is still unclear.
You can find all current developments in this news ticker.
Update from November 2, 11.43 p.m
.: Hundreds of people strolled through the Bermuda Dreieck nightlife district in Vienna on Monday evening (November 2).
Suddenly there are numerous
shots
.
Austria's Interior Minister
Karl Nehammer
spoke of an apparent terrorist attack around two hours later.
“The attack is still ongoing,” said the interior minister, audibly tense, on a special ORF news program.
An initial assessment by the police: one perpetrator shot, a passerby was also killed.
Shots were fired at six crime scenes.
The Austrian news agency APA also reported 15 injured.
Helicopters
are
circling over Vienna city center
, a
state of emergency
prevails
.
The police called on citizens to avoid public places.
“We are working with all possible forces.
Please avoid all public places in the city area, "it said on Twitter.
It was also asked not to upload any videos or photos.
"DO NOT post videos and photos on social media, this endangers both emergency services and the civilian population!"
The following still applies: stay at home!
When on the go, seek refuge!
Avoid public places, do not use public transport!
# 0211w
- POLIZEI VIENNA (@LPDWien) November 2, 2020
"Disgusting terrorist attack" in Vienna: Chancellor Sebastian Kurz comments on the attack - soldiers on duty
After the attack, the
army
is now also
deployed with soldiers
in downtown Vienna.
The Austrian Armed Forces have taken over the entire property protection in the capital, reported the news agency APA, citing the Chancellery.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
spoke of a "disgusting terrorist attack".
According to the
police,
public transport stops
in the inner city of Vienna from time to
time.
"Stay safe, leave public places immediately," tweeted the police.
What is known so far: Exchange of fire in downtown Vienna - background is still unclear
First report from November 2nd, 9.47pm:
Vienna -
Several shots were fired
on Monday evening in
downtown Vienna
.
A
major police operation is
underway.
According to the police, a perpetrator was shot dead.
Another alleged perpetrator is said to have been arrested.
This was reported by the Austrian news agency
APA
on Monday evening, citing the Ministry of the Interior.
It is currently not known
how many
perpetrators
there are in total.
In addition, the police speak of a total of six crime scenes that were secured.
What we can confirm so far:
* Around 8:00 p.m. shots from the Seitenstettengasse area
* Several perpetrators with long weapons (rifles)
* Currently.
total of 6 crime scenes
* 1 fatality, several seriously injured, including a police officer
* 1 perpetrator shot by police # 0211w
- POLIZEI VIENNA (@LPDWien) November 2, 2020
Interior Minister
Karl Nehammer
(ÖVP) told
ORF
that it was an
"apparent terrorist attack"
.
According to him, there were several injured and probably also dead.
According to a ministry spokeswoman, a police officer was shot and seriously injured in the exchange of fire near Schwedenplatz.
The police also confirm this.
Attack in downtown Vienna: ambulance service reports several dead and injured
Meanwhile, the
Vienna ambulance service
reports several dead and injured.
“We cannot yet limit this in terms of numbers, we are still in the process of getting an overview,” said the spokesman for the Viennese professional rescue service, Daniel Melcher, of the
APA.
The first shots are said to have been fired around 8 p.m. in
Seitenstettengasse
, in the center of Vienna.
Oskar Deutsch
, President of the Israelite Religious Society in Austria, wrote on Twitter that the synagogue in Seitenstettengasse was closed at the time of the first shots.
He does not know
whether the
city temple
, Vienna's main synagogue, was a target, but he said it was shot in the immediate vicinity.
Attack in Vienna: Police with a large contingent in the city center
The background is currently completely unknown.
There are many expressions of solidarity to the Jewish community on Twitter.
+
Heavily armed forces are deployed after the shots in downtown Vienna.
© Ronald Zak / AP / dpa
Attack in Vienna (Austria): "Please avoid all public places in the city area"
The
police
patrolled the city with rifles at the ready.
"We are with all possible forces in action," wrote the police on Twitter.
"Please avoid all public places in the city," it said.
Many people in the area fled in panic.
The city center is currently cordoned off on a large scale.
The city temple in the center of Vienna is one of the most important points of contact for the Jewish community in the Austrian capital.
There have been terrorist attacks on the synagogue in the past.
