Berlin
Car has driven into a crowd at a German Christmas market
Johan Flinck,
Nora Fernstedt,
Oskar Forsberg
Updated 23.38 | Published 20.04
A car has driven straight into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.
Two people have died - including a small child.
68 people have been injured, 15 of them seriously, according to local authorities.
At 19.04, a black BMW drove straight into the crowd at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. This is reported by Bild.
The driver was arrested immediately afterwards.
There are different reports about the number of dead and injured.
According to the city's official information, two people have been killed. 15 are seriously injured, 37 people have moderate injuries and 16 have minor injuries.
The Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, says on live TV that one of the dead is a small child.
– This is a terrible incident, especially when it happens just a few days before Christmas, he tells the television channel MDR.
Drew 400 meters
The driver was reportedly stopped by police when he tried to turn the car around. Before that, he had managed to drive a distance of 400 meters, the police tell Bild.
Eyewitnesses describe how people ran in panic.
A witness tells Mitteldeutsche Zeitung that the car drove into the “fairy tale area” of the Christmas market, where many children were. The witness says she managed to throw herself aside with her child at the last moment.
Nearby hospitals have prepared to receive many injured.
Suspected explosive device
According to Minister President Haseloff, the suspect is a man in his 50s, comes from Saudi Arabia and works as a doctor. He has lived in Germany since 2006 and has a permanent residence permit,
Bild writes that the man works at the hospital in Magdeburg. According to information to Spiegel, his specialist is psychiatry.
He is believed to have acted alone.
The police have cordoned off an area around the man's car. Sources tell MDR that they suspect there is an explosive device in the car.
During the evening, the police also conducted an operation in Bernburg. The arrested man is said to be from the city.
“War-like scenes”
The organizer of the Christmas market is said to have urged people to leave the city center via megaphone.
There is currently a massive police operation at the scene. Several ambulances and emergency services are also there.
A restaurateur at the market testifies to “war-like scenes”. The police have set up a hotline for affected relatives.
After the incident, another Christmas market in the city of Erfurt, south of Magdeburg, has been evacuated, reports MDR. There is said to be no concrete danger but is described as a precautionary measure.
Kristersson: Horrible news
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information about any dead or injured Swedes at the scene,
"Swedes at the scene are urged to contact their relatives, stay updated on developments in the media and follow the advice and instructions of local authorities," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an email.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented on the incident on X.
"Horrible news from Magdeburg tonight. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Germany,"
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also commented on the attack.
"We are reached by the terrible news of a violent attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg just days before Christmas Eve. My thoughts go out to the victims, the injured and their loved ones who have been affected,” she writes on X.
Swedish star: Terrible
Swedish national team star Felix Claar, who plays handball in Magdeburg, tells Aftonbladet that he was at home when the incident at the Christmas market happened.
– We have been at home all evening and did not notice anything. But it is an incredible move here in town now.
– It is absolutely terrible.
Scholz: My thoughts are with the victims
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks out on X about the incident.
“The reports from Magdeburg indicate that something very bad is happening. My thoughts are with the victims and their families”.
Scholz will travel to Magdeburg on Saturday.
Magdeburg, which is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, is home to 240,000 people.
On December 19, 2016, a terrorist drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin.13 people were killed and 67 injured.
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