Overview
- About 3,000 people were attending an open‑air 'We Love the 90s' event at the Festhalle Elsdorf parking lot when an irritant was reportedly sprayed into the crowd.
- Emergency services declared a Massenanfall von Verletzten, a mass‑casualty incident status that mobilizes many rescue units across the district.
- Twenty‑seven attendees suffered respiratory or eye irritation and six of those were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
- Police located and detained a man at the scene who was reported to be intoxicated and is the suspected assailant, and investigations are ongoing.
- The case highlights crowd safety risks at large outdoor events and may prompt reviews of security and medical planning for similar festivals.