Fri Dec 20 21:01:35 UTC 2024: ## Car Plows Through German Christmas Market, Dozens Injured in Suspected Attack
**Magdeburg, Germany** – A suspected attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, left 60 to 80 people injured Friday evening. A vehicle, reported by German media as a black BMW, drove at high speed through the crowded market near the city’s central town hall, leaving a trail of casualties. While German media initially reported fatalities, authorities have not yet confirmed any deaths.
The incident occurred around 7:00 pm local time, when the market was bustling with holiday revelers. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with cries and screams as ambulances and emergency services rushed to the scene. Images and videos show injured people being treated on the ground amidst the festive decorations. Police have made one arrest.
Authorities are treating the incident as a suspected attack. “We presume it was an attack,” a spokeswoman for the Saxony-Anhalt state interior ministry told AFP. The incident has evoked memories of the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, where a lorry attack killed 12 people.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, thanking emergency responders for their work. He stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the reports from Magdeburg “raise the worst fears”.
While German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently urged vigilance at Christmas markets, she stated that authorities had not received specific threats. However, the domestic security service has previously warned that such markets are potential targets for Islamist-motivated individuals. Germany has seen a rise in suspected Islamist-motivated attacks in recent months.
The investigation into the Magdeburg incident is ongoing. Authorities are working to determine the motive and full extent of the injuries.
First Piper 