At least two people were killed and dozens injured after a car crashed into a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday. Authorities said it appeared to be a deliberate attack.
The driver of the car was arrested, according to Magdeburg police confirmed.
Saxony-Anhalt State Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff told a news conference in Magdeburg that the suspect was a 50-year-old doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006. He said the man had a license to stay and work for an indefinite period. in the country.
Authorities said the driver had no criminal record and the possible motive was unknown. The area surrounding the vehicle was cordoned off by investigators.
Haseloff described it as “a solitary attack.” He said at least 60 people were injured and he could not rule out more deaths.
Tamara Zieschang, Interior Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, said the number of injured was 68, 15 of them very seriously.
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Magdeburg University Hospital said it was caring for 10 to 20 patients but was preparing for more, the dpa news agency reported.
The sounds of first responders’ sirens clashed with the market’s Christmas decorations, including ornaments, stars and leaf garlands adorning vendor booths. Images from the scene of a cordoned off part of the market showed debris on the ground.
“It’s a terrible event, especially right now, a few days before Christmas,” Haseloff said. Haseloff told DPA he was on his way to Magdeburg but could not immediately give any information about the victims or what was behind the incident.
Chancellor OIaf Scholz posted on: “My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. We stand with them and with the people of Magdeburg.”
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The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also sent her condolences and wrote“This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished.”
Magdeburg, located west of Berlin, is the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt and has around 240,000 inhabitants.
The alleged attack comes eight years after an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. On December 19, 2016, an Islamic extremist drove through a crowded Christmas with a truckkilling 13 people and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed a few days later in a shooting in Italy.
Christmas markets are an important part of German culture as an annual holiday tradition cherished since the Middle Ages and successfully exported to much of the Western world. In Berlin alone, more than 100 markets opened their doors late last month and brought the smells of mulled wine, toasted almonds and bratwurst to the capital. Other markets abound across the country.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said late last month that there was no concrete indication of any danger to Christmas markets this year, but that it was wise to be vigilant. She said Friday on social networks“The news from Magdeburg is deeply shocking. Emergency services are doing everything they can to treat the injured and save lives. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
This is a developing story. Please check again to updates.