Death and grief: attack on Magdeburg Christmas market shakes city

Death and grief: attack on Magdeburg Christmas market shakes city

On Friday evening, a tragic incident occurred in Magdeburg when a man raced into a crowd on the Christmas market with a car. In this attack, an adult and a toddler were killed, while at least 60 people were injured. The severity of the injuries suggests that the number of fatalities could increase, warned Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) in a first statement. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the mayor of Bremen, Andreas Bovenschulte, shaked themselves about what was happening and addressed their thoughts to the victims and their relatives. A funeral service is planned for the evening in Magdeburg, as Tagesschau reported.

The police are currently assuming a single offender. The alleged perpetrator is a doctor from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany since 2006 and drove into the crowd with a rental car. According to witnesses, the vehicle drove at least 400 meters above the Christmas market. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser promised to clarify the background of the attack and to take care of the care of the injured. The medical services worked under high pressure to provide the first injuries in the University Hospital Magdeburg, reported Voice.de .

The police advise the residents to stay in their apartments while the investigation continues. Initial information indicates that the suspect is not known as an Islamist. The state of Saxony-Anhalt is in close exchange with the security authorities in order to obtain clarity about the background of this terrible incident as quickly as possible.