"Avoid the area"

Amok alarm triggered in Cologne school!

Emergency services immediately cordoned off the area around the school - the situation in the building is now being investigated (symbolic image).

(Bild: AFP)

An amok alarm was triggered at a comprehensive school in Cologne on Wednesday afternoon. The police were immediately on the scene with a large contingent of emergency services - but fortunately it turned out to be a false alarm.

"We are on site with many emergency services and are clarifying the situation," wrote the police of North Rhine-Westphalia on the short message service X (formerly Twitter). The public was asked to avoid the Holweide area.

The alarm was triggered at around 2 p.m., reports the German newspaper "Bild". The area around the school in the eastern district of Holweide was cordoned off. Fortunately, the all-clear was given at around 4.30 p.m.: "The search measures have been completed. The Cologne police are currently assuming a false alarm," said the police on X. 

Special units combed through the building
Special units had previously combed the school for suspicious persons, and a helicopter was also deployed. However, nothing suspicious was found.

As reported by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper, the alarm is said to have been triggered by the school's automatic alarm system. An employee of the school reportedly described the situation in the building to the police as unremarkable.