At least two people were killed and one person was severely injured in a knife attack in the western German city of Ludwigshafen on Tuesday, a police spokesperson in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate said. 

The suspected perpetrator of the attack was injured from police gunfire before his arrest. He was taken to the hospital after he was brought into custody. 

The motives behind the attack in the neighborhood of Oggersheim are still unclear and a wide-ranging investigation is behind carried out, the spokesperson added.  

"There is no current danger to the public," the spokesperson said. "We are currently collecting secure information and will report in a timely manner on the current status of investigations." 

The zone where the attack occurred has been cordoned off by police and residents are asked to avoid the area.  

Germany has witnessed several knife attacks in recent years, with a stabbing in the southern city of Würzburg leaving three people dead last year. 

wd/wmr (AP, AFP, dpa)