At least one person was killed, and several others injured on Friday when a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German town of Magdeburg, in what local officials are describing as a terror attack, according to The Guardian.
Eyewitnesses reported that the car appeared to intentionally plough into the crowd, with many people rushing to the scene, including numerous police officers and emergency services.
The driver was arrested shortly after the attack, according to German news agency DPA, citing officials from the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The number of victims is not yet confirmed, and the authorities are investigating the incident. Saxony-Anhalt’s Governor Reiner Haseloff called it “a terrible event,” especially during the festive days leading up to Christmas.
In response to the attack, the manager of the Christmas market urged people to leave the area as a precaution.
The attack comes just days after the anniversary of the Berlin Christmas market attack in 2016, in which 13 people were killed and dozens more were injured when an Islamist extremist drove a truck into a crowded market. The attacker was later killed in a shootout with police in Italy.
While German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had previously stated there were no specific threats to this year’s Christmas markets, authorities have maintained heightened vigilance.
As the investigation continues, officials are urging the public to remain cautious as the authorities work to determine the motive behind the attack.
