A man has taken hostages in an apartment in the southwest German city of Karlsruhe, police say, amid reports of one death and several people injured.

Karlsruhe police spokesman Juergen Schuefer said on Wednesday that officers had shut down a large part of the city around the apartment building after shots were fired at around 9am when two court bailiffs went to clear the apartment of its occupants.

He said police believe they are dealing with a single armed man but have had no contact with him yet.

He said police do not know how many hostages there may be but neither of the bailiffs are accounted for.

 

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