Two killed as man arrested in Christmas market car attack

A driver rammed a car into a large crowd of revellers at a Christmas market in central Germany yesterday evening, killing at least two people and injuring more than 60 others before he was arrested, authorities said.

One of the dead was a young child, said Reiner Haseloff, premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The incident took place in Magdeburg, the state capital, 150km west of Berlin.

"It is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg, for the state and for Germany in general," Mr Haseloff said, adding that the death toll could rise given the severity of some of the injuries.

Mr Haseloff described the attacker as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he had lived for almost two decades.

"As things stand at the moment, we are talking about a lone offender, which means that there is no further danger to the city because we were able to arrest him," Mr Haseloff added.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the attack.

Following the incident, police cleared an area surrounding the vehicle to investigate a possible explosive device, local broadcaster MDR reported. It later cited police as saying that no such device had been found.

A police operation was also under way in the town of Bernburg, south of Magdeburg, where the suspect is believed to have lived, local newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reported.

Police were not immediately available to comment on the reports of a suspicious item or the operation in Bernburg.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who sent his thoughts to those affected in a post on social media platform X, is expected to visit the scene later today with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

As news of the attack broke, Elon Musk, the billionaire allied with US President-elect Donald Trump, criticised Mr Scholz and called on him to resign.

A video posted on social media from a position above the market shows a car driving at speed through a crowd walking between two rows of market stalls. People can be seen knocked to the ground and running away.

Reuters was able to verify the location, with the trees, outline and design of the buildings matching file and satellite imagery of the area.

Footage from a local broadcaster showed people wrapped in blankets on the ground receiving care in the wake of the attack.

Bild newspaper quoted a witness identified only as Nadine saying she had been walking arm-in-arm with her boyfriend, Marco, when the car came hurtling towards them.

"He was hit and ripped away from my side," Bild cited her as saying, adding that he had been injured on his leg and head and taken to hospital but she did not know where to find him.

"The uncertainty is unbearable," she told Bild.

Late last month, Ms Faeser advised people to be vigilant at Christmas markets, which have been a particular focus of security services as a potential target for extremist attacks.

Eight years ago, Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others.

Offers of condolences

Taoiseach Simon Harris described the incident as "shocking and despicable."

"Thinking of and praying for the victims and their families and all those involved in responding to the situation," Mr Harris said on X.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he is "shocked and appalled" at the loss of life in Magdeburg, and has urged Irish citizens in the area to follow advice from local authorities.

"My thoughts and prayers go to the victims, their families, emergency services and the German people," he said.

In a statement by the State Department, the United States said it is "shocked and saddened" by the attack.

"The United States is shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Magdeburg," said spokesman Matthew Miller. "The United States is ready to provide assistance as recovery efforts continue and authorities investigate this horrible incident."

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "profoundly shocked" by the attack and that he "shares the pain of the German people".

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also said she was "deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the defenceless crowd", adding: "Violence must have no place in our democracies."

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was "shocked" by the "terrible attack".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he is "horrified" by the attack on the Christmas market.

In a statement, he said "My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected. We stand with the people of Germany," he added.