Closing summary
It’s now 2.20am in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, and we’re closing this live blog. Below is a snapshot of what we know about the car-ramming attack at a Christmas market on Friday evening, and our full report can be read here. Thanks for being with us.
Two people have been killed and at least 68 injured after a driver ploughed a car into a Christmas market on Friday evening in the eastern German town of Magdeburg.
German police have arrested a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe is responsible for the attack, according to German state premier Reiner Haseloff. One of the dead was a small child, he said.
The suspect is named Taleb A and first arrived in Germany in March 2006, according to security sources cited by the Spiegel news outlet. He was recognised as a refugee in July 2016 and is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Magdeburg’s University hospital said it was treating 10-20 patients and preparing for more, German press agency dpa reported.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, with its ministry of foreign affairs saying the kingdom expressed its “solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims”.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said his “thoughts are with the victims and their families”. UK prime minister Keir Starmer said he was “horrified” by the attack and “we stand with the people of Germany”.
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The car barrelled into the crowd at high speed just after 7pm local time on Friday (1800 GMT), when the Christmas market was filled with revellers, Agence France-Presse reports.
Video footage showed the arrest of the black BMW’s driver as police, with their handguns trained, shouted “lie down, hands on your back, don’t move!” at a bearded man with glasses who was lying on the ground next to the heavily damaged car.
Police said the vehicle drove “at least 400 metres across the Christmas market” leaving a trail of bloodied casualties, debris and broken glass at the city’s central town hall square.
Ambulances and fire engines rushed to the chaotic site, which was doused in blue police lights and wailing sirens, as badly injured people were treated onsite and taken to hospitals.
Cries and screams rang out as about 100 emergency responders deployed to the litter-strewn market decorated with Christmas trees and festive lights.
“The pictures are terrible,” city spokesman Michael Reif said.
At least two people were killed, one of them a young child, and 68 injured, said authorities in the city of Magdeburg, about 130km (80 miles) south-west of Berlin.
The suspect arrested after the attack was a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor living in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, said regional premier Reiner Haseloff.
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Here are some of the latest images coming in over the news wires from the scene of the attack in Germany’s eastern town of Magdeburg, in Saxony-Anhalt state, early on Saturday.
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Saudi Arabia has expressed its “solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims” of the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg.
The ministry of foreign affairs also condemned the attack in a post on X, as reported earlier.
The ministry said it “affirmed its rejection of violence” after the attack, in which a car drove into a crowd of people at the market, killing two people and injuring at least 68, in what local officials have described as a terror attack.
This is Adam Fulton picking up our live coverage
Updated
A summary of today's developments
Two people have been killed and at least 68 injured after a driver ploughed a car into a Christmas market on Friday evening in the eastern German town of Magdeburg.
German police have arrested a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe is responsible for the attack, according to German state premier Reiner Haseloff.
One of the people who died was a small child, according to Haseloff.
According to security sources cited by Spiegel, the man is named Taleb A. and first arrived in Germany in March 2006. He was recognised as a refugee in July 2016 and is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Magdeburg’s University hospital said it is treating 10-20 patients and preparing for more, according to the German press agency dpa.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has issued a statement on the incident, saying that his “thoughts are with the victims and their families”.
The UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer said he is “horrified” by the attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. He said: “I am horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg tonight. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected. We stand with the people of Germany.”
Saudi Arabia has condemned the attack at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening, the Gulf country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Police have arrested a suspect in the attack, which killed at least two people.
Reiner Haseloff, premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, earlier described the attacker as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he has lived for almost two decades.
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Elon Musk said the German chancellor Olaf Scholz should resign immediately as a result of the attack on the Christmas market, even as the circumstances around it have yet to be established.
“Scholz should resign immediately,” Musk posted on X, in a frontal attack on the German leader, adding: “Incompetent fool.”
It was his second intervention in a day in German politics. Earlier he had appeared to endorse the far-right populist AfD on X claiming it was the only party that could “save Germany”.
The billionaire and adviser to the upcoming US President Donald Trump appears to be increasingly trying to influence politics outside the USA.
In another post he shared video footage that apparently showed emergency vehicles at the Magdeburg Christmas market, commenting “terrible”.
Musk has repeatedly weighed in to criticism Germany’s asylum policies, supporting the AfD’s insistence that it would successfully stamp out irregular migration and increase the deportations of foreign criminals.
An eyewitness told Sky News how he heard people screaming as the car was driven at speed through the Christmas market.
Liam Clowes, 29, said: “I turned around and initially thought the noise was the children’s carousel that was just behind us.
“All of a sudden a car comes from the right of us straight across.
“It was driving at a speed of at least 30-40mph and people were going over the car.
“We knew it was a serious incident as it happened.”
Clowes added the car was about 15 yards away from him and he saw it drive into people.
“The driver didn’t apply any brakes or anything, the car was just driven through people.”
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The UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer said he is “horrified” by the attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.
He said: “I am horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg tonight.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected.
“We stand with the people of Germany.”
Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who would normally be preparing his Christmas address to the nation, said in a statement: “The anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was suddenly interrupted by the reports from Magdeburg.
“Whilst not all of the details behind the terrible act have yet been clarified, my thoughts are with the victims and their families. I would like to thank all the rescue workers for their efforts.”
The police in Saxony Anhalt are appealing to people to upload any photos or videos around the incident which might help their investigations.
The city centre remains sealed off to the public. A suspicious package found on the passenger seat of the black BMW which drove into the market has still not been officially identified, amid speculation that it might contain explosives.
A hotline for citizens directly affected by the attack who want to find out about relatives or friends has been set up. A separate hotline at the University Clinic in Magdeburg, where many of the more seriously injured are being treated, has also established a separate hotline for those seeking information.
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Scores of people were injured and at least two people, including a small child, were killed on Friday after a car ploughed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German town of Magdeburg, in what local officials are describing as a terror attack.
At least 68 other people were injured, including 15 who were left in a critical state, according to the city government.
A black BMW apparently drove straight into the crowd at the Christmas market, travelling at speed for 400 metres in the direction of the town hall, according to eyewitnesses cited by the broadcaster.
Videos posted on social media appeared to capture the attack, showing a dark-coloured car drive into the crowds at high speed. Several media outlets showed the videos in their coverage, but the authenticity of the footage has yet to be officially confirmed.
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According to local media, people with less serious injuries are being treated in a tram close to the site of the market which has been turned into a temporary medical centre.
On the square itself, large hospital tents are also being used to treat the wounded. The market square is full of debris from the attack including overturned chairs, abandoned food, strings of Christmas lights and broken market stalls.
Elsewhere around the square in Magdeburg’s city centre, the Christmas illuminations and decorations on display mark a stark contrast to the devastation and carnage left following the attack.
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The Magdeburg attack took place almost exactly to the day eight years ago that Islamist terrorist Anis Amri drove a stolen lorry into one of Berlin’s busiest Christmas markets on Breitscheidplatz, killing 12 people. A 13th died later.
Since that attack on 19 December 2016, Christmas markets have been kitted out with heightened security, most significantly heavy bollards and ramps preventing vehicles from entering the market.
Especially due to the fact that such security measures have been implemented extensively across Germany – home to an estimated 3,000 Christmas markets – the attack in Magdeburg in which once again people have died and been injured in large numbers just days before Christmas, has come as a massive shock.
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The UK’s foreign office said it is “closely monitoring the situation” in Germany.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the German authorities following an incident in the city of Magdeburg and are closely monitoring the situation.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
According to Reiner Haseloff, the leader of Saxony Anhalt, the state in which the attack took place, the federal chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is due to visit the scene of the attack tomorrow.
“The chancellor will be here tomorrow and will assess the situation here with us and will certainly not only be mourning with us, but will also discuss the measures that are necessary,” he said at an impromptu press conference.
“I can imagine, due to the seriousness of this attack, the federal prosecutor general will also take action,” Haseloff said.
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EU president Ursula von der Leyen said her thoughts are “with the victims of the brutal and cowardly act”.
“This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished,” she added on X.
Meine Gedanken sind heute bei den Opfern der brutalen und feigen Tat in Magdeburg.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 20, 2024
Mein Beileid gilt den Angehörigen und Freunden, mein Dank der Polizei und den Rettungskräften.
Diese Gewalttat muss aufgeklärt und hart geahndet werden.
Police are carrying out a search of the alleged perpetrator’s house in Bernburg, according to the regional newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung.
Heavily armed police entered a house in Christian Strasse in the late evening hours, according to the paper. The police did not confirm the reports.
An eyewitness identified as Nadine, 32, from Wolfsburg, told the tabloid Bild she was looking for her boyfriend Marco, who was torn from her side when the car raced into the crowds.
“He was hit by the car and ripped away from me,” she said. “It was terrible. No one even screamed. I didn’t even hear the car.” Marco received injuries to his head and leg, she said. “We don’t know in what hospital he’s been sent to. The uncertainty is unbearable.”
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68 people are believed to have been injured, including 15 who are in a critical state.
Footage from the scene showed the alleged perpetrator lying on the ground, his head raised, next to a badly damaged black car. A policeman metres from him is pointing a drawn weapon in his direction as passersby look on in shock.
German reports, including Spiegel, are citing more information about the alleged perpetrator.
According to security sources cited by Spiegel, the man is named Taleb A. and first arrived in Germany in March 2006. He was recognised as a refugee in July 2016 and is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Updated
French president Emmanuel Macron has released a statement on the attack, saying that he is “deeply shocked by the horror”.
He went on to add:
My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones and families. France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity.”
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What we know so far
Here’s a look at what we know so far about the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg:
Two people have been killed and at least 60 injured after a driver ploughed a car into a Christmas market on Friday evening.
German police have arrested a doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe is responsible for the attack, according to German state premier Reiner Haseloff.
One of the people who died was a small child, according to Haseloff.
Magdeburg’s University hospital said it is treating 10-20 patients and preparing for more, according to the German press agency dpa.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has issued a statement on the incident, saying that his “thoughts are with the victims and their families”.
Updated
Here are some images coming through the newswires from Magdeburg:
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Death toll rises to two
The perpetrator is a doctor from Saudi Arabia, according to German state premier Reiner Haseloff, Reuters reports.
Haseloff added that the perpetrator acted alone and that at least 60 people have been injured.
The death count has increased to two, Haseloff said, Reuters reports.
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The German broadcaster MDR is reporting that another Christmas market in the city of Erfurt, in central Germany, is being evacuated.
They report the move is a precautionary measure and there is “no concrete evidence of any danger”.
Magdeburg’s University hospital said it is treating 10-20 patients and preparing for more, the press agency dpa is reporting.
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City spokesperson Michael Reif said he suspects it was a deliberate act, adding there are “numerous injured” and that the “pictures are terrible”.
“My information is that a car drove into the Christmas market visitors, but I can’t yet say from what direction and how far,” Reif added.
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'At least 70 people injured, 15 of whom with serious injuries'
The attack has left one person dead and 70 injured, 15 of whom with severe injuries, MDR is reporting citing city officials.
Police suspect there was an explosive device in the vehicle that ploughed into a crowd at the Christmas market, broadcaster MDR is reporting.
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Foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said the attack left her “shaken”.
In a statement on X, Baerbock wrote: “The pictures from Magdeburg leave me deeply shaken. For the families and friends who wanted to spend time together at the Christmas market nothing is as it was before. My deepest sympathies are with the victims and their loved ones. I want to thank the emergency crews and helpers.”
Die Bilder aus #Magdeburg erschüttern mich zutiefst. Für Familien und Freunde, die auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt Zeit miteinander verbringen wollten, ist nichts mehr, wie es war. Mein tiefstes Mitgefühl gilt den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Mein Dank den Rettungskräften und Helfern.
— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) December 20, 2024
It is unclear if the suspected attacker was acting alone, according to local broadcaster MDR.
One person has been arrested, authorities said.
MDR also reports the car used by the attacker was still at the market. It reportedly “drove at least 400 metres” into the crowd.
Germany deputy chancellor reacts to 'horrible' attack
Germany’s deputy chancellor, Robert Habeck, has reacted to the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, saying it was “horrible news”.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones,” he wrote on X.
He also thanked emergency services on the scene.
Welch furchtbare Nachrichten aus #Magdeburg, wo Menschen die Adventszeit in Frieden und Gemeinschaft verbringen wollten. Meine Gedanken sind bei den Opfern und Angehörigen. Ich danke allen Einsatzkräften, die vor Ort alles geben, um zu helfen und die Hintergründe aufzuklären.
— Robert Habeck (@roberthabeck) December 20, 2024
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All hospitals are preparing for a mass casualty event, a security official said, adding that the initial assessment is this was an attack.
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Chancellor Scholz says thoughts are with victims and families
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said “the news suggests something bad” and that his thoughts are with “the victims and their families”.
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On 19 December 2016, a truck driven by Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, crashed into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Milan.
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Dozens of people reported injured
About 60 to 80 people have been injured in the attack, according to the AFP news agency.
The state premier, Reiner Haseloff, who is on his way to the scene, said it is a “terrible event, especially now in the days before Christmas”, broadcaster MDR reported.
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Weihnachtsmarkt Magdeburg, the Christmas market where the attack took place, has posted on Instagram warning people to leave the market and allow emergency services to do their work.
Many police officers and emergency services are on site and the market manager had told people to leave the city centre, MDR reported.
Witnesses told the broadcaster that the car drove straight into the crowd at the market in the direction of the town hall.
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Two people killed and scores injured in Germany Christmas market attack
Two people have been killed and scores injured after a car was driven into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Germany, according to local media reports.
The driver has been arrested following the incident in the city of Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, News agency dpa said.
Police said the market has been closed.
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