Hostages in German bank branch released but suspect at large


Police officers secure an area during operations in response to a hostage-taking situation, at a savings bank branch in the western town of Sinzig, near Bonn, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, in this screengrab obtained from video, May 8, 2026. REUTERS TV via REUTERS

SINZIG, Germany, ⁠May 8 (Reuters) - At least ⁠one suspect is at large ‌after taking hostages and then fleeing the scene at a savings ​bank branch in the ⁠western German ⁠town of Sinzig, police said on ⁠Friday.

The ‌hostages, including one cash transport driver, were ⁠released and unharmed, police added.

While ​the ‌hostage situation was underway earlier ⁠on ​Friday, police said they were working on the assumption that ⁠there were multiple perpetrators.

The ​incident was first reported in the town's centre in the ⁠regional state of Rhineland-Palatinate at 0700 GMT.

Police said they had launched extensive operations and ​had cordoned off ⁠a large area.

(Reporting by Ludwig ​Burger, Erol ‌Dogrudogan and Andreas Kranz; ​writing by Friederike Heine, editing by Matthias Williams)

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