Emergency services and firefighters are on duty at the Christmas market in Magdeburg on Dec. 20, 2024 in Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg.
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At least two people were killed and 68 injured after a car sped through a crowded Christmas market in eastern Germany in what officials called a suspected attack on Friday.
A short video of the incident posted on X and geolocated to the city of Magdeburg in eastern Germany showed a vehicle speeding through a large group of shoppers. Dozens of people are run over as others scramble to safety. The vehicle races straight before making a right turn, away from the view of the camera.
A Facebook page for the city of Magdeburg reported that at least one person had been killed and 68 were injured, 15 of whom were categorized as in serious condition. Earlier, news agency AFP reported that up to 80 people had been injured.
Reuters reported a city spokesperson for Magdeburg called the incident an “attack.” Numerous people were injured and area hospitals were preparing for a mass casualty event, the spokesperson said.
A police officer examines the scene of the crime at the Christmas market on Dec. 20, 2024 in Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg.
Heiko Rebsch | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
“Extensive police operations are currently taking place at the Magdeburg Christmas market. The Christmas market in the city center is closed,” police said in a post on X. Police also released a hotline for people affected so they can contact their relatives.
The driver of the car was arrested, Reuters cited German news agency dpa as reporting.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned of a difficult time ahead.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” Scholz said in a post on X. “We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.”
Germany’s vice chancellor Robert Habeck lamented the incident calling it “terrible news” in a post on X.
In an eerily similar incident, a driver plowed into a Christmas market in 2016 in Berlin, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.
Police in New York City have increased security at holiday markets as a precaution and in response to the incident in Germany, a senior NYPD official told NBC News on Friday.
Additional resources will be sent to numerous holiday markets and high-profile locations across the city. Threats have been made to some markets overseas, but no specific local threat has been made, the official said.