5 killed in Germany hostage drama - Gayo Lues

The incident came on Wednesday when an armed man, facing house eviction after failing to pay the rent, took several people hostage in his apartment.

Police were called by the residents of the building at about 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) when gunshots were heard from the apartment of the gunman.

Smelling something burning, police forces broke into the flat and found five dead bodies inside.

The victims are reported to be a court bailiff who was sent to evict the man, a locksmith who accompanied him, and a woman, presumed to be the home owner.

There are also two unidentified dead bodies one of which is thought to be that of the hostage-taker.

Following two school massacres in Germany in April 2002 and March 2009, German gun laws were tightened.

According to reports, in January 2012, a 54-year-old man accused of embezzlement shot dead a prosecutor at a court in the southern German city of Dachau.

MR/JR/AZ