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Vienna shooting: At least 5 dead, 15 injured after terrorists open fire

WION Web Team
ViennaUpdated: Nov 03, 2020, 01:28 PM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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As of now, 15 people, including a police officer, have been hospitalised, with seven suffering serious injuries

At least five people have been reported dead after a group of gunmen opened fire at the crowd enjoying a night out in Vienna before a nationwide lockdown. The incident happened shortly after 8pm.

"I am glad that our police were able to neutralize one of the attackers,'' Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. "We will not never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks with all means.''

As per the early reports, shootings happened at six different locations where the gunmen used assailant rifles injuring many people who were out in the city enjoying the lat night out before the country goes into a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The police started investigating the matter as a terror attack and the Interior Minister Nehammer, too, announced the local public radio that "It appears to have been a terror attack."

Vienna shooting

As of now, 15 people, including a police officer, have been hospitalised, with seven suffering serious injuries, reported the Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig. 

The incident began near the Seitenstettengasse synagogue, which is the main temple in Vienna, and was closed at the time of the attack, Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch reported through a tweet.

As per the local reports and videos on social media, several people ran to find a shelter and a safe place as the locals heard several noises 'that sounded like firecrackers.' People also raised their hands up as the police frantically searched identities of people on the street to identify the shooters. For now, one shooter has been reportedly arrested and the police have reported that at least one shooter is on the run. It is not yet clear how many shooters were involved in this massacre.

The French President Emmanuel Macron showed solidarity with the European country. "We the French people share the shock and grief of the Austrian people, struck this evening by an attack in the heart of their capital, Vienna. After France, a friend of ours is attacked. This is our Europe. Our enemies must know who they are dealing with," he said.