At least two people are dead and sixty injured after a car crashes into a Christmas market in Magdeburg

A car rammed into a group of people at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. At least two people, including a child, were killed. The suspected driver of the car has been arrested.

The driver drove a black BMW into the Christmas market of Magdeburg, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, on Friday evening around 7 p.m., without braking into a group of visitors. It is still unclear exactly how many victims there were. According to the state premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), at least two people have been killed, including a child, and more than sixty have been injured. Fifteen of them were said to be seriously injured. The emergency services arrived en masse.

The Christmas market, located on the Old Market near the town hall in Magdeburg, was closed early. The organization called on visitors to leave the city center.

Suspect arrested

The city's spokesman, Michael Reif, quickly spoke of an “attack on the Christmas market”. Government spokesman Matthias Schuppe also said it was “probably” an attack. Schuppe confirmed that the suspected driver of the car has been arrested. It concerns a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who has been living in Germany since 2006, with a permanent residence permit. The man would not have been on the radar of the security services and probably acted alone. According to The world the police carried out a search of his home in Bernburg, about fifty km south of Magdeburg.

“Not all details of the terrible act have yet been clarified,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also stated that his thoughts are with the victims. He will travel to Magdeburg on Saturday to express his support and discuss possible measures.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes on X that the “brutal and cowardly act” must be investigated and punished.

The incident is reminiscent of the attack on the Berlin Christmas market in 2016, when twelve people were killed after a terrorist drove a truck into a Christmas market.