German Christmas market attack – latest: Death toll rises to five with 200 injured after ‘brutal’ car attack
Nine-year-old child among five dead with 200 other people injured in attack, including 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, with a further 200 people injured, authorities have confirmed.
Among the dead is a nine-year-old child, who was confirmed to have been killed on Friday following the attack at around 7pm. According to German media, 41 people have been critically injured, 90 seriously injured and a further 80 are suffering minor injuries.
Speaking at the scene in Magdeburg on Saturday, German chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters: “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality. Almost 40 are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them.”
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 was “horrified” by the “atrocious attack”.
Smashed up vehicle pictured
New images reportedly show the vehicle that ploughed through the crowd at the market.
The black BMW car is severely damaged, with the windscreen shattered.
‘Suspect worked as a doctor 22 miles away from Magdeburg’ - interior minister
Tamara Zieschang, interior minister for the state of Saxony-Anhalt, has shared more details about the suspect in Friday night’s attack:
“This is one of the darkest days for Saxony-Anhalt and also for the state capital Magdeburg. As things stand, we have two fatalities to mourn and a large number of injured.
“The perpetrator has been arrested. He is a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, who first entered the Federal Republic of Germany in 2006. He had a permanent residence permit and thus a permanent residence permit.
“Most recently he worked as a doctor in Bernburg. According to our current information, he acted alone. There is no information on other perpetrators. Everything else is the subject of further investigations.”
Witness says driver was going ‘at least 30-40mph'
A witness has described how he saw the suspect driving at speeds of “at least 30 - 40mph” through the crowded market.
Liam Clowes, 29, told Sky News: “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. The driver didn’t apply any brakes or anything, the car was just driven through people.”