Car slams into crowd at Christmas market in Germany in suspected attack; at least 2 killed, dozens injured, officials say

At least two people were killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed 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, Magdeburg police confirmed.

The state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, said at a news conference at the scene in Magdeburg that the suspect was a 50-year-old doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006. He said the man had indefinite permission to stay and work in the country. 

Authorities said the driver had no criminal record, and the possible motive is unknown. The area surrounding the vehicle was sealed off by investigators.

Haseloff described it as “a lone attack.” He said at least 60 have been injured and they cannot rule out further deaths. 

Tamara Zieschang, Saxony-Anhalt’s interior minister, said the number of injured was 68, with 15 hurt very seriously.

Magdeburg’s University Hospital said it was taking care of 10 to 20 patients but was preparing for more, dpa news agency reported.

The sounds of sirens from first responders clashed with the market’s holiday decorations, including ornaments, stars and leafy garland festooning the vendors’ booths. Footage from the scene of a cordoned-off part of the market showed debris on the ground.

“This is a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas,” Haseloff said. Haseloff told dpa that he was on his way to Magdeburg but couldn’t immediately give any information on victims or what was behind the incident.

Chancellor OIaf Scholz posted on X: “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent condolences and wrote, “This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished.”

Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has about 240,000 residents.

The suspected attack came eight years after an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. On Dec. 19, 2016, an Islamic extremist plowed through a crowded Christmas with a truck, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.

Christmas markets are a huge 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 late last month and brought the smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and bratwurst to the capital. Other markets abound across the country.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said late last month that there were no concrete indications of a danger to Christmas markets this year, but that it was wise to be vigilant. She said Friday on social media, “The news from Magdeburg is deeply shocking. The emergency services are doing everything they can to care for the injured and save lives. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.