Van crashes into crowd in Germany city of Münster‬‬, killing two people and injuring at least 20

Police say driver shot himself dead

A man drove a van into a crowd in the western German city of Münster‬‬, killing two people before shooting himself dead.

The van crashed into people sitting in front of the famous Grosser Kiepenkerl bar in the city’s old town district, injuring at least 20 people, according to police.

The driver killed himself inside the van, said Andreas Bode, a spokesman for the police.

Six of the injured were in severe condition, Mr Bode added.

A top German security official said there is no indication of an Islamic extremist motive, but officials are investigating all possibilities.

Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Münster is located, said the driver was a German citizen.

He stressed the investigation is at an early stage but said "at the moment, nothing speaks for there being any Islamist background".

Mr Reul added: "we are investigating in all directions."

He said two people were killed in the crash and the driver then killed himself. The number is lower than the figure police previously gave of three dead plus the driver.

On Twitter, police urged the public to “avoid the area near the Kiepenkerl pub” where a large-scale police operation is underway.

Mr Bode said a suspicious object was found in the van and they were examining what it is and whether it is dangerous.

Police told German news agency dpa the object was the reason a large area around the scene was sealed off after the crash.

Mr Bode said the identity of the perpetrator was not yet clear.

Investigators were looking at the possibility that other suspects fled the scene, though they had no evidence that this was the case, he added.

Witnesses spoke of two others in the van besides the driver, the German news agency dpa reported.

“It is far too early to speak of an attack,” Mr Bode said.

“We have cordoned off the area widely. The crime scene investigators are checking out the crime scene, trying to identify, investigate and secure traces. That is our current task.”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported the perpetrator was Jens R, a 48-year-old man who lived around 2km (1.2 miles) from the crime scene.

Broadcaster ZDF said police were searching his apartment and he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence so far that he was an extremist himself.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the man had psychological problems and added his apartment was being searched for possible explosives.

A large-scale police operation is underway in downtown Münster, Germany (dpa via AP) (AP)

The mayor of Muenster, Markus Lewe, said the reason for the crash was still unclear.

He told reporters “all of Münster‬‬ is mourning this horrible incident.

“Our sympathy is with the relatives of those who were killed. We wish the injured a quick recovery.”

German television news n-tv showed a narrow street sealed off with police tape.

Dozens of ambulances were waiting near the cordoned-off downtown area, while helicopters were flying overhead.

The Kiepenkerl is not only one of the city’s best-known traditional pubs, it is also the emblem of the city, depicting a travelling salesman with a long pipe in his mouth and a big backpack on his back.

The city’s university hospital called on citizens to donate blood to help them.

Police guard the streets of downtown Münster‬‬ following the crash (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Police said it was too early to speculate about the motive behind the crash and said they are still investigating.

They have urged people in Münster‬‬ to avoid the city centre.

A security source told Reuters: “The scenario is such that an attack cannot be ruled out.”

The incident came one year to the day after a truck attack in Stockholm killed five people, and has evoked memories of a truck attack in Berlin that killed 12 people in December 2016.

Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, hijacked a truck, killed the driver and then ploughed it into the crowded marketplace, killing 11 more people and injuring dozens of others.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said she was “deeply shocked by the terrible events in Münster‬‬”.

In a statement, Ms Merkel said “everything conceivable is being done to investigate the crime and to support the victims and their relatives. My thanks go to all the responders at the scene.”

Germany’s top security official said he was “dismayed by the terrible incident” and said city and regional police were working hard to work out what happened.

Horst Seehofer, the interior minister, said federal authorities were in close contact with officials in North Rhine-Westphalia state.

Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said his thoughts are with the victims and relatives of the crash.

“We have to assume this was a serious act of violence,” he said. “My deep sympathy goes to all those who have lost a loved one.”

“I am shocked by the news from Münster‬‬,” said Andrea Nahles, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, junior partner in Chancellor Merkel’s ruling coalition.

“My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives,” she added. “I hope that our authorities can quickly clarify the background to this incident and wish the local forces much strength for their work.”