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The last few hours before Corona’s exit restrictions took effect in Vienna, outdoor dining areas and streets were packed due to unusually warm temperatures, when the news came out of the blue. Multiple outlets reported an attack on the synagogue in the city center around 8 p.m., then again a shooting nearby in the so-called Bermuda Triangle, a well-known nightlife district. Videos were shared on social media of people bleeding, of gunshots on Vienna’s Morzinplatz, and of passersby fleeing in panic.
The situation remained unclear throughout the night.
One or more killers are said to have fired savagely with long guns at six crime scenes, authorities said that same night. At least one civilian was reportedly killed and 15 people injured, including a police officer. Dozens of ambulances were used. According to the police, one of the perpetrators is said to be dead, other volatile perpetrators have not been excluded. “We are doing the best we can to control the situation. It may take several hours,” the Interior Ministry said. Rumors that one of the perpetrators was wearing an explosive belt could not initially be confirmed or ruled out. According to Mayor Michael Ludwig, a demining squad was deployed. He said that “the people in the bars” were shot “indiscriminately”, especially those who were sitting outside. It is currently not possible to estimate whether there are “more dangers”.
Heavily armed forces cordoned off Vienna’s city center, and public transport no longer made stops in the city center. The Viennese population was asked not to go out into the streets or take refuge in buildings. The police operation went on for hours, sirens and helicopters circling could be heard over and over again throughout Vienna.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told the ORF that a terrorist attack and several perpetrators are suspected, who are still being wanted. The professional rescue established a triage area, where injured people can be classified according to the severity of their injuries and the urgency.
The background was unclear for the night. The attack is said to have started around 8 p.m. on Vienna’s Seitenstettengasse, the street where the temple of the Jewish city is located. However, the Israelite religious community could not confirm that an attack on the synagogue had occurred. At the time it was closed, as was the adjoining restaurant, said the highest representative of the Jews in Austria, Oskar Deutsch, in an opening statement on Austrian television. It is not yet clear whether the attack targeted the synagogue.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz condemned the events in central Vienna as a “repulsive terrorist attack”. Several suspects remain at large. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen assured assistance to the victims. “We are all deeply affected,” said the head of state. via Twitter With.
The police operation in the center of Vienna is still ongoing, we are constantly updating it.
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