A car rammed into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany. Authorities believe the act was deliberate. An unknown number of people were injured, with Bild reporting at least 11 deaths.
Police quickly arrested the driver following the incident, according to the news agency dpa. Regional officials from Saxony-Anhalt stated the act seemed intentional. Matthias Schuppe, a regional government spokesperson, confirmed the suspicion, while city spokesperson Michael Reif said the situation involved “numerous injured” but did not provide an exact number.
“My information is that a vehicle drove into market visitors,” Mr Reif said. “We can’t yet determine the direction or distance involved.”
Magdeburg’s University Hospital treated between 10 and 20 patients and is preparing for more. Emergency services rushed to the scene, cutting through the festive atmosphere with sirens and chaos. Video footage shows cordoned-off sections of the market and debris scattered across the area.
Official statements and historical context
“This is a deeply tragic event, especially so near Christmas,” said Saxony-Anhalt Governor Reiner Haseloff. He travelled to Magdeburg but provided no further details on the victims. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also expressed his condolences, stating on X (formerly Twitter): “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand with the people of Magdeburg.”
Magdeburg, a city west of Berlin with approximately 240,000 residents, is no stranger to security concerns. The attack recalls the 2016 Berlin Christmas market tragedy, where an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded market, killing 13 people. Authorities killed the perpetrator in a later shootout.
While Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently assured the public that no specific threats targeted this year’s markets, she stressed the importance of vigilance.
