Alarm was raised throughout Europe on Friday evening with the report of a car driving into crowds at the annual Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, raising fears of another terror-related attack reminiscent of another similar incident at a Berlin market eight years ago.
BBC, among others, said the man arrested is a 50-year-old originally from Saudi Arabia. He is said to have arrived in Germany in 2006 and worked as a physician. “Police say they are not looking for any other suspect at this time,” BBC quoted.
Numerous media reports said the suspected driver was arrested after he attempted to flee the scene.
Conversely, CNN and BBC gave the death toll at two. Other unconfirmed reports out of the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt claimed that at 11 people were killed and 60 to 70 people were injured, the latter according to Bild. The death toll figure, at least in the first hour after the attack, was circulated by broadcast reports from the scene, while the incident went “viral” over social platforms.
Regional government spokesperson Matthias Schuppe, speaking to dpa, and city spokesperson Michael Reif pointed to an attack.
Intense law enforcement activity was ongoing at the scene to determine if other perpetrators are involved and if explosives are present.
Bild reports that the attack began at 19.04 local time, with footage showing a gray BWM bypassing barriers and “zigzagging” into market goers.
An attack has taken place at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.
Several people are dead and injured, according to MDR. pic.twitter.com/LRjCu82QtS
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 20, 2024
Magdeburg, west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has roughly 240,000 inhabitants.
On Dec. 19, 2016, an Islamic terrorist plowed through a crowd of Christmas market-goers with a truck, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. The perpetrator was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.
The incident comes ahead of looming elections in Germany.
This was the Mega Channel “breaking news” report:
Scholz reaction
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his heightened concern shortly after the attack, taking to X and posting the following:
“The reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Die Meldungen aus Magdeburg lassen Schlimmes erahnen.
Meine Gedanken sind bei den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Wir stehen an ihrer Seite und an der Seite der Magdeburgerinnen und Magdeburger. Mein Dank gilt den engagierten Rettungskräften in diesen bangen Stunden.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) December 20, 2024
