A newly elected mayor in western Germany has been critically injured in a stabbing attack, according to German media reports.

Iris Stalzer, the 57-year-old mayor-elect of the North Rhine-Westphalia town of Herdecke, was stabbed in front of her home about noon (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday, leaving her with life-threatening injuries, Germany’s WDR broadcaster reported, quoting local police.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the “heinous attack” and called for a swift investigation.

“We fear for the life of the designated mayor, Iris Stalzer, and hope for her full recovery,” he wrote in a post on X.

According to WDR, Stalzer was repeatedly stabbed before managing to haul herself inside her home, where her children called rescue services.

After finding Stalzer severely injured, rescue workers

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