Germany van crash: Police do not know why 48-year-old German man ploughed into crowd in Munster

'As of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed'

Police have admitted they still do not know why a 48-year-old German man drove into a crowd in the city of Munster before shooting himself dead inside a van.

The vehicle crashed into people sitting in front of the famous Grosser Kiepenkerl pub in the city's old town district, killing two people and injuring at least 20 more.

But in a joint statement with police, prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt admitted: "As of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed. The investigations are being led under high pressure in all possible directions."

Authorities said a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg County and a 65-year-old man from Broken County were killed in the incident. Their names were not released, as is customary in Germany.

Local media identified the driver as an industrial designer living in Munster who had been suffering from psychological problems. Police would not confirm details.

All three bodies were taken from the crash scene in front of the pub. The silver-grey van was hauled away hours later after explosives experts had thoroughly checked it.

"The van is not at the crime scene anymore, all kinds of objects have also been removed, waste of course, as well as evidence that we've found on the ground," said police spokesperson Susanne Dirkorte.

Inside the van, police found illegal firecrackers which were disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the gun the perpetrator used to kill himself.

During a raid on the man's apartment, which was near the crash scene, investigators found more firecrackers and a "no longer usable AK-47 machine gun".

Police said some of the 20 injured were still in a life-threatening condition, but did not release further details over their identities.

Local newspaper, Muenstersche Zeitung, reported the perpetrator had vaguely announced his suicide plans a week ago in an email to friends and that he was known to the authorities for previous violence and drug violations.

He drove into the bar's tables with such force the vehicle only came to a stop when it hit the wall of the pub. Police quickly evacuated the area and ambulances, firefighters and helicopters rushed to the scene to aid those who were injured.

On Saturday night, long queues of volunteers waited in front of the city's university hospital to donate blood for the victims. At the city's Aasee Lake, people spontaneously came together for a candlelight vigil.

German interior minister Horst Seehofer is expected to visit the crash scene together with other high-ranking officials.

The city's Roman Catholic bishop, Felix Glenn, invited all of Munster's citizens to a joint Catholic-Lutheran memorial service at the famous Paulus Cathedral on Sunday night.

The popular university town with some 300,000 inhabitants is a known tourist destination, famous for its medieval old town, which was rebuilt after massive destructions during the Second World War.

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

Additional reporting by agencies