Magdeburg Christmas Market chaos: Latest updates from scene of incident in Germany after car drives into crowd of people killing ‘at least 11’ and injuring nearly 70

A car has driven intro a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. Here is what we know so far:

• Prime Minister of Saxony Anhalt Reiner Haselhoff has confirmed two people have been killed in the attack.
• The driver of the car – reported to be a dark BMW, has been arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm today.
• It believed that the driver was a Saudi Arabian doctor who worked in the region
• Nearly 70 have been injured in the attack, 15 of whom have been seriously injured.

The Prime Minister of Saxony Anhalt Reiner Haselhoff has confirmed at least two people have been killed in the Christmas Market attack in Magdeburg.

The suspected driver is believed to be a Saudi Arabian doctor who works in the region, according to the politician.

Chancellor OIaf Scholz posted on X after initially sharing that he feared ‘the worst’ as reports emerged from Magdeburg.

My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg.’

This is the moment the alleged Saudi perpetrator of the horrific Christmas market car smash was arrested with an explosive device after he drove through a massive crowd, killing at least 11 and injuring nearly 70 people.

The driver of the car, reported to be a dark BMW, was arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm today in the city of Magdeburg, according to unidentified government officials in the state of Saxony-Anhalt who spoke to the dpa news agency.

Video footage of the moment appears to show armed police crowding around a dark car and forcing a bearded man to slowly exit.

Several cops were seen crowding around the man with their weapons drawn while shouting at him. Cops were also seen shooing the growing crowd around the arrest incident, as a police officer crouches down over him with a torch.

He is said to have been a man from Saudi Arabia who was born in 1974, per Welt.

Bild reported that the car was driven ‘at least 400m (1,300ft) across the Christmas market’, per a police spokesperson.

A car drove into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving at least one person dead and between 60 and 80 people injured.

The driver of the car, reported to be a dark BMW, was arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm today, according to unidentified government officials in the state of Saxony-Anhalt who spoke to the dpa news agency.

Bild reported that the car was driven ‘at least 400m (1,300ft) across the Christmas market’, per a police spokesperson.

According to emergency services, who have set up tents to immediately treat victims, several people were ‘severely’ injured.

Video footage too graphic to share appears to show the dark car careening into the dense crowd, leaving dozens of people lying on the floor.

Within seconds, countless revellers can be see fleeing for their lives in the wake of the crash. Separate footage showed children crying loudly as several small crowds of people formed over those injured in the crash, in apparent attempts to help them.

Tonight’s fatal incident, which saw a car plough into a crowd of people, happened in Magdeburg which is central Germany.

The city is around an hour and a half away by car from Berlin, with its Christmas market being a huge attraction for tourists.

The state capital of Saxony-Anhalt is located on the Elbe River, and has around 240,000 residents.

Following the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, almost 70 are injured – 15 of whom are seriously injured, city authorities have said.

According der Bild, ‘at least 11’ people have been killed.

People have been urged to avoid the area via a statement published on Magdeburg Christmjas Market Instagram page.

The statement reads: ‘Please let the emergency services do their job and leave the market in an orderly manner.’

German broadcaster Welt has reported that the perpetrator is a man from Saudi Arabia who was born in 1974.

He is said to have rented the dark BMW used in the attack, and left a piece of luggage in the passenger seat.

All hospitals in the German city of Magdeburg are “preparing for a mass casualty event”, a spokesperson has said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern in a post to X, writing: ‘The reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.’

Bild reported that the car was driven ‘at least 400m (1,300ft) across the Christmas market’, per a police spokesperson.

• A car drove into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg
• The incident took place at 7.04pm local time on Friday
• The driver of the car, reported to be a dark BMW, was arrested following the crash
• At least one person is dead and between 60 and 80 people are injured.
• Local police said on X that ‘extensive police operations are currently taking place’

Hello and welcome to the live blog on the German Christmas Market tragedy, which has seen at least 20 people injured and one person killed car drove into a group of people.

We will be providing all the latest updates from Madeburg throughout the night.