A third person has died from wounds sustained during a shooting attack on a popular Christmas market in Strasbourg, French authorities said Thursday.

Another 13 people are injured, with five still in critical condition, the local prefecture said in a statement.

One of the injured has been declared brain dead.

Previously officials had said two victims had died and 13 were injured.

The suspected attacker, a 29-year-old Strasbourg native named Cherif Chekatt, opened fire at the eastern city's annual Christmas market on Tuesday night.

Police and soldiers exchanged fire with Chekatt, who was wounded but managed to escape.

More than 700 police in France have been searching for him since and the government has raised its security alert for terrorism to its highest level.

Border controls have been reinforced in Germany and Switzerland, where the career criminal has previous convictions, and hundreds of additional soldiers have been deployed to secure other Christmas markets across France.

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