The driver ran through barriers surrounding the Magdeburg market and drove directly into shoppers, eyewitnesses said according to The Telegraph. Magdeburg lies west of Berlin in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. Supposed security footage circulating social media captured the car ramming through an extremely busy section of the market.
The driver of the car was apprehended and taken into custody. The suspect is reported to be a 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia who was a doctor at the Magdeburg Clinic.
An unverified report from German outlet Bild has stated that at least 11 people were killed in the incident.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that the death toll is likely to rise. “The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible is to come. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” he said in a statement.
Police closed the market and cordoned off the city centre as they search for any explosives in the area. There have been reports that explosives were suspected to have been in the vehicle.Eyewitnesses have stated that there were many families with children at the market that night.
Neighboring cities have been preparing hospitals to take in the injured victims from the incident. Halle in particular has ramped up security at its own Christmas market.
On Instagram, Magedeburg’s Christmas Market warned people to avoid the area, stating, “Please let the emergency services do their job and leave the market in an orderly manner!"
“This is a terrible event, especially now in the days before Christmas,” Reiner Haseloff, Saxony-Anhalt’s prime minister, said, adding that he was traveling to the scene.
