A number of people were hit by gunfire near a rave in northern Switzerland overnight, local police said Sunday.

The incident in Aarau, north of Zurich, left "multiple victims" and prompted a "large-scale" police response, officers said on X, without elaborating.

Swiss newspaper Blick reported on its website that the shots were fired before 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on the sidelines of the Aarauer Rave.

Some 3,500 people attended the annual techno party between 3:00 pm on Saturday and 2:00 am on Sunday.

Police spokeswoman Vanessa Rumpold was quoted as telling the newspaper that the shooting happened at the racecourse where the event was held.

"Several shots were fired within a large group of people," she added.

One witness reported "bursts of gunfire".

RelatedTRT World - US accounted for 73 percent of global mass shootings