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A hostage standoff is underway at a Volksbank branch in the western German town of Sinzig in Rhineland-Palatinate, with police confirming multiple suspects and multiple hostages inside the building as of Friday morning, including the driver of a cash transport vehicle.
Police in Koblenz confirmed they were notified of the incident at 9:00 a.m. local time Friday. "Multiple hostage-takers and hostages inside the bank are currently assumed. One of the hostages is the driver of a cash transport vehicle," a police spokesperson said in a statement.
According to Bild, the incident began when an unidentified man intercepted the cash transport driver as he approached the bank entrance.
The suspect and the driver are believed to be located in the bank's vault room.
Police spokesperson Jürgen Fachinger told SWR that residents within the cordoned-off zone should not leave their homes or apartments for the time being.
Police described the situation as "currently static" and said there was no danger for residents outside the established perimeter. The entire Sinzig town center has been cordoned off.
Multiple police vehicles were observed traveling at high speed through the town with blue lights, according to an SWR reporter on the scene.
Helicopters are being used to monitor the operation from the air.
Police have urged residents not to spread unverified information on social media. Rumors circulating online that some suspects had already fled had not been confirmed by authorities. It also remains unclear how many people are being held inside the bank or whether the suspects are armed.
Early reports had described the incident as a bank robbery, but police have not confirmed that characterization.
Sinzig is located in the lower Ahr Valley, approximately 20 kilometers from Bonn and 30 kms from Koblenz, near the border with North Rhine-Westphalia.
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