www.theguardian.com
At least one person killed and several injured in Germany Christmas market attack
At least one person has been killed and several others injured after a car was driven into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Germany, according to local media reports.
The driver has been arrested following the incident in the city of Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, News agency dpa said.
Public broadcaster MDR said at least one person had been killed.
Police said the market has been closed.
Key events
Kate Connolly
The Magdeburg attack took place almost exactly to the day eight years ago that Islamist terrorist Anis Amri drove a stolen lorry into one of Berlin’s busiest Christmas markets on Breitscheidplatz, killing 12 people. A 13th died later.
Since that attack on 19 December 2016, Christmas markets have been kitted out with heightened security, most significantly heavy bollards and ramps preventing vehicles from entering the market.
Especially due to the fact that such security measures have been implemented extensively across Germany – home to an estimated 3,000 Christmas markets – the attack in Magdeburg in which once again people have died and been injured in large numbers just days before Christmas, has come as a massive shock.
The UK’s foreign office said it is “closely monitoring the situation” in Germany.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the German authorities following an incident in the city of Magdeburg and are closely monitoring the situation.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
Kate Connolly
According to Reiner Haseloff, the leader of Saxony Anhalt, the state in which the attack took place, the federal chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is due to visit the scene of the attack tomorrow.
“The chancellor will be here tomorrow and will assess the situation here with us and will certainly not only be mourning with us, but will also discuss the measures that are necessary,” he said at an impromptu press conference.
“I can imagine, due to the seriousness of this attack, the federal prosecutor general will also take action,” Haseloff said.
EU president Ursula von der Leyen said her thoughts are “with the victims of the brutal and cowardly act”.
“This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished,” she added on X.
Meine Gedanken sind heute bei den Opfern der brutalen und feigen Tat in Magdeburg.
Mein Beileid gilt den Angehörigen und Freunden, mein Dank der Polizei und den Rettungskräften.
Diese Gewalttat muss aufgeklärt und hart geahndet werden.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 20, 2024
Kate Connolly
Police are carrying out a search of the alleged perpetrator’s house in Bernburg, according to the regional newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung.
Heavily armed police entered a house in Christian Strasse in the late evening hours, according to the paper. The police did not confirm the reports.
Kate Connolly
An eyewitness identified as Nadine, 32, from Wolfsburg, told the tabloid Bild she was looking for her boyfriend Marco, who was torn from her side when the car raced into the crowds.
“He was hit by the car and ripped away from me,” she said. “It was terrible. No one even screamed. I didn’t even hear the car.” Marco received injuries to his head and leg, she said. “We don’t know in what hospital he’s been sent to. The uncertainty is unbearable.”
Kate Connolly
68 people are believed to have been injured, including 15 who are in a critical state.
Footage from the scene showed the alleged perpetrator lying on the ground, his head raised, next to a badly damaged black car. A policeman metres from him is pointing a drawn weapon in his direction as passersby look on in shock.
German reports, including Spiegel, are citing more information about the alleged perpetrator.
According to security sources cited by Spiegel, the man is named Taleb A. and first arrived in Germany in March 2006. He was recognised as a refugee in July 2016 and is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
French president Emmanuel Macron has released a statement on the attack, saying that he is “deeply shocked by the horror”.
He went on to add:
My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones and families. France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity.”
What we know so far
Here’s a look at what we know so far about the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg:
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Two people have been killed and at least 60 injured after a driver ploughed a car into a Christmas market on Friday evening.
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German police have arrested a doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe is responsible for the attack, according to German state premier Reiner Haseloff.
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One of the people who died was a small child, according to Haseloff.
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Magdeburg’s University hospital said it is treating 10-20 patients and preparing for more, according to the German press agency dpa.
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German chancellor Olaf Scholz has issued a statement on the incident, saying that his “thoughts are with the victims and their families”.
