A car ploughed into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, leaving five people dead, including a toddler, and injuring 200 others, authorities confirmed.
Speaking at the scene on Saturday, Saxony-Anhalt’s governor and Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack, describing it as an act of brutal violence. Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, Taleb A., who reportedly had ties to far-right ideology.
Global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, expressed horror at the attack, which has left 41 critically injured and many more grieving during the holiday season.
Five people have been confirmed dead after a car rammed into a crowded Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday evening, authorities reported.
Speaking on Saturday at the scene in Magdeburg, the governor of Saxony-Anhalt announced the rising death toll and confirmed that 200 others had been injured in the attack.
Governor and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the incident together, with Scholz condemning the act as a “terrible” and “brutal” attack. “Almost 40 people are so seriously injured that we remain deeply concerned about their survival,” he told reporters.
According to German media, the attack left 41 individuals critically injured, 90 seriously injured, and another 80 with minor injuries.
Among the victims is a toddler, whose death was confirmed shortly after the attack, which occurred around 7 p.m. Friday.
Authorities have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, Taleb A., who has lived in Germany since 2006. Local reports indicate he sympathized with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
The attack has drawn widespread international condemnation, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing it as an “atrocious attack” and expressing his horror at the events.