Alarm in Germany due to mass car accident at a Christmas market

SEDAN.– A car ran over a large group of people, causing dozens of injuries at a Christmas market on Friday in the city of Magdeburg.in eastern Germany, according to the German news agency DPA, and police detained the driver minutes later.

The incident occurred in the Weihnachtsmarkt Christmas marketwhere a vehicle broke into the pedestrian zone at high speed. According to the Magdeburg police there is at least one dead and rescuers reported between “60 and 80 people” injured.

Some media outlets speak of several deaths and claim that it is an attackbut the authorities have not confirmed it. The rescuers stated that several people were “seriously injured” as a result of the accident, in which “a vehicle” was involved.

Images shared on social networks showed the impact of the car against a group of crowded people, leaving several lying on the ground.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested, the agency said, citing unnamed government officials. in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

According to the spokesperson for the Saxony-Anhalt government, Matthias SchuppeThe incident at the Magdeburg Christmas market was “probably an attack”. According to city spokesman Michael Reif, it was initially an “attack on the Christmas market.”

The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Pure Haseloff (CDU), reacted with horror to what happened. “This is a terrible event, especially now, in the days before Christmas”said Haseloff, who was on his way into town.

Local authorities have deployed a significant security device in the area and are investigating the circumstances of the event.

The diary central germany newspaper interviewed anonymous witnesses. A woman stated that the attacker “headed straight towards the fairytale area of ​​the Magdeburg Christmas market”an area especially popular with families. She barely managed to move aside with her son to avoid being hit.

A restaurant owner said the attacker sped past his hamburger stand. The man described the scene as “war conditions” and said the car completely cleared the counter.

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

The incident evoked memories of the 2016 attack on the same Christmas marketwhere a truck plowed into the crowd, resulting in 12 deaths and dozens of injuries.

The police urged the population to avoid the area and have established emergency telephone lines for family members and witnesses.

Authorities are expected to provide more details at a press conference scheduled for the next few hours.

Investigations are ongoing to determine whether this was a deliberate act or an accident.

The German government has called an emergency meeting to address the situation and coordinate the response.

AP and AFP Agencies