Vienna: At least eight persons have been killed and several others injured in a school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz, authorities have said. The incident occurred at 10 am local time (about 1.30 pm IST) on Tuesday.
Police special forces units were rushed to the spot and a helicopter was also deployed. Officials later said that things are under control. They did not specify whether there were any children among those killed. No details of the shooter or shooters have been revealed.
The local media has, however, claimed that the shooter was a student who then locked himself in a toilet and turned the gun on himself.
Graz is the second largest city in Austria after the capital Vienna. It is located about 200 km southwest of Vienna and has a population of about 300,000.
The police have said they deployed to the school after shots were heard. Austrian media reports say at least nine have been killed including the suspected gunman.
The Interior Ministry said there were several deaths but did not specify how many. There was also no immediate information on any injuries or on the status of the perpetrator.
Special forces were among those sent to the BORG Dreierschutzengasse high school after a call at 10am local time.
Police posted on X that the deployment was ongoing and that it involved a helicopter. The police operation is still under way in Graz as the school building is being evacuated. There is reportedly a large police presence on the ground, including special units.
