AKIPRESS.COM - The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk has died in hospital, a day after being stabbed at a charity event.

Pawel Adamowicz, 53, was attacked on stage in front of hundreds of people on Sunday, BBC reports.

He was taken to hospital for stab injuries and underwent five hours of surgery at a local hospital.

A 27-year-old with a criminal record has been arrested over the attack. Police believe he used a media pass to gain access to the stage.

Poland's health minister on Monday confirmed Mr Adamowicz had died.

"We couldn't win," Lukasz Szumowski told local media, referring to the battle to save his life.

Thousands attended vigils across Polish cities on Monday evening, including in Gdansk.

President Andrzej Duda described the attack as an "evil hard to imagine".

Mr Adamowicz was a popular figure - known best for his liberal political views and extensive tenure as mayor.

The father-of-two was from Gdansk and had held the position for two decades.

He first came to power in 1998 - and had been re-elected four times since, including in November.