German Christmas market attack - latest: Death toll rises to five with 200 injured after ‘brutal’ car attack
200 people injured in attack, 40 critical
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Your support makes all the difference.Five people have now died after a car ploughed into a busy Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, authorities confirmed.
Speaking at the scene in Magdeburg on Saturday, Saxony-Anhalt’s governor confirmed the death toll had risen and that 200 people had been injured.
He spoke alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz, who condemned the attack and vowed to use the full strength of the law.
“What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality,” Scholz told reporters. “Almost 40 are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them.
According to German media, 41 people have been critically injured, 90 seriously injured and a further 80 are suffering minor injuries.
Among the dead is a toddler, who was confirmed to have been killed on Friday following the attack at around 7pm.
Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor identified by local media as Taleb A., who had lived in Germany since 2006 and reportedly sympathised with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
The attack sparked global condemnation from world leaders, including UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said he is “horrified” by the “atrocious attack”.
Magdeburg market will not re-open
The Magdeburg Christmas market will not re-open this year after at least four people were killed by a car ramming into the crowd on Friday night.
On Saturday morning, members of the city council gathered near the cordoned-off market.
The city’s deputy for personnel, citizen services and public order Ronni Krug, told local media: “People have died here. If you open a market, that means that people will drink mulled wine and eat where people have died. I cannot approve of that and it will not happen as long as I have a say here.”
Watch: Video appears to show arrest after German Christmas market attack
Death toll rises to 4
The death toll in a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has risen to four people, and 41 others were gravely injured, the Bild newspaper reported on Saturday.
Eighty-six people are receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries incurred in the incident on Friday evening in the central city, while another 78 sustained minor injuries, the report said.
Police were not immediately available to comment on casualties. Local officials had initially said it least two people were killed and had warned that the toll could rise.
What do we know about the suspect?
Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor after a car ploughed into a German Christmas market.
He has been identified by local media as Taleb A., a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy who sympathised with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Memorial will take place at Magdeburg cathedral today
Magdeburg Mayor Simone Borris said officials plan to arrange a memorial at the city’s cathedral on Saturday.
The mayor was reported to be on the verge of tears following the attack, which has shaken the German city and the country.
‘We walked over the dead’ - police officer
A police officer who was one of the first on the scene described in harrowing detail what he witnessed to German news outlet DER SPIEGEL.
“Nobody prepares you for something like that,” the unnamed officer said. “We walked over the dead.”
The officer said he was at the market on a routine patrol when he saw the car speeding by.
After barrelling through the crowd in the vehicle, the suspect surrendered, according to the officer.
“He then more or less surrendered himself,” the police officer said.
Musk calls Scholz 'incompetent fool', says far-right party is Germany's saviour
Billionaire Elon Musk, set to join US president-elect Donald Trump’s administration as an outside adviser, called on German chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign in response to a deadly attack at a Christmas market.
“Scholz should resign immediately,” he posted on X, adding: “Incompetent fool.”
Mr Musk was responding in a thread about reports of the market attack. Earlier on Friday, he waded into Germany’s election campaign, calling the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the country’s saviour.
The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany’s mainstream, more centrist parties have vowed to shun support from the AfD at national level.
Europe’s leading power is expected to vote on February 23 after a centre-left coalition government led by Scholz collapsed.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Mr Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform, X.
U.S. Vice President-elect JD Vance brands incident ‘ghastly attack’
Watch: Paramedics carry away injured people from scene after attack at Germany Christmas market
Saudi Arabia warned German authorities about the attacker
A Saudi source told Reuters news agency that the kingdom had warned German authorities about the attacker, who the source said had posted extremist views on his personal X account.
The source identified the suspect as Taleb Abdul Jawad.
Germany's Der Spiegel identified the attacker as Taleb A, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy who sympathised with Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party.
The magazine did not say where it got the information.