A vehicle plowed into a crowded Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, killing at least five people (as of Saturday morning) and leaving more than 200 injured, officials reported.
In a short video of the incident posted to X, geolocated to the city of Magdeburg, the car can be seen speeding through a large group of shoppers, hitting dozens as others try to scramble to safety. The vehicle then races straight before making a right turn out of view.
The suspected driver, identified as a doctor from Saudi Arabia who lived in Germany, was detained, said Reiner Haseloff, premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. He reported that the suspect acted alone, and was driving a rented vehicle. Officials have not given further information regarding a possible motive or cause of the crash.
Those killed in the incident include one adult and one small child, Haseloff said. He has not ruled out that there may be additional deaths, given the severity of the injuries.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a post on X. “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.”
Police released a hotline for people affected so they can contact their relatives, and announced on X that the Magdeburg Christmas market is closed due to “extensive police operations” there.
In a similar incident that occurred almost eight years ago in 2016, a driver plowed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.
Tamara Zieschang, interior minister of Saxony-Anhalt, said that the suspect is 50 years old and came to Germany for the first time in 2006, last working as a doctor in Bernburg, about 30 miles south of Magdeburg.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack in a statement by its Foreign Ministry that did not mention the suspect. “The Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims,” the statement said.
Police in New York City have increased security at holiday markets as a precaution and in response to the incident in Germany, a senior NYPD official told NBC News on Friday, reporting that additional resources will be sent to numerous holiday markets and high-profile locations across the city. Officials say threats have been made abroad, but there are no specific local threats.
The White House is closely monitoring the incident in Magdeburg, offering support to German officials. It has also extended condolences to the victims, their families and the German people, a White House official said.
