At least 2 dead and dozens injured after car plows into German Christmas market, authorities say

By Catherine Nicholls, Frederik Pleitgen, Benjamin Brown, Lauren Kent and Avery Schmitz, CNN

Berlin (CNN) — At least two people were killed and dozens injured after a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, local authorities said.

An adult and a toddler died in the attack and the suspected driver has been arrested, the prime minister of Saxony-Anhalt state, Reiner Haseloff, said in a televised statement.

At least 68 people were injured, including 15 people with serious injuries, according to a statement posted on the city’s Facebook page.

Footage from social media, verified by CNN, shows the gruesome moment a black car drove directly into the crowd at the busy Christmas market.

In the video, dozens of people are crowded at the market stalls when the vehicle plows directly into them. Some people can be seen running away in panic, while others dive into the stalls.

Bodies and debris are scattered across the narrow lane as the car turns out of the plaza.

The area around the car was previously cordoned off over suspicion that an explosive device could be inside it, but police later found no such device, local public broadcaster MDR reported, citing Magdeburg police.

According to Haseloff, the suspected driver is a doctor from Saudi Arabia who works in Saxony-Anhalt and has lived in Germany since 2006.

The suspect is a 50-year-old man with a permanent residency permit, said Tamara Zieschang, the state’s interior minister.

He had rented the car used in the alleged attack, according to Haseloff, cited by MDR.

Magdeburg, the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt, has a population of about 240,000.

The Christmas market is scheduled to be open from November 22 through December 29, according to its website. It has about 140 market stalls, as well as an ice skating rink, a ferris wheel and a children’s play area.

Haseloff said mourning would take place in Germany, especially in the state. City authorities announced there would be a memorial service at Magdeburg cathedral at 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET) Saturday.

“We will fly the flags at half-mast to express what a tragedy has taken place here and that we all share in the suffering that has been inflicted on people,” he said.

Footage geolocated from social media shows law enforcement officials arresting an individual about 500 feet (150 meters) from where the vehicle plowed into the crowd.

The video published by the AP news agency pans across a busy road to show a police officer aiming a handgun at the arrestee near a vehicle, which appears to be heavily damaged. Moments later two police vans arrive, and officers swarm the scene.

A separate video also from AP, captured from across the street, shows officers handcuffing an individual lying prone beside the black SUV seconds later.

CNN affiliate NTV reported on the same video, saying it captured the moment the suspect was arrested.

CNN has not been able to confirm if this is the suspect in Friday’s market attack.

The number of injured people exceeded what hospitals in Magdeburg could handle, with some being flown to a hospital in the nearby city of Halle for treatment, MDR said. Those with minor injuries were treated at a nearby shopping center and on a tram converted into a care center.

About 100 firefighters and 50 rescue personnel have been deployed, the city of Magdeburg said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will travel to Magdeburg Saturday, wrote on social media that his thoughts were with the victims of the attack. “We are at their side and at the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the attack.

“The Kingdom affirms its position in rejecting violence and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Federal Republic of Germany, government and people, with its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured,” it said in a statement.

The White House was closely monitoring the situation and US officials were in touch with their German counterparts that were investigating the situation to offer support, a National Security Council official told CNN.

European leaders, including President of the European Council António Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof also sent their condolences.

CNN’s Inke Kappeler and Melissa Gray contributed to this report.

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