A tragic incident unfolded on Friday, December 20, when a car crashed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. Officials are treating it as a terror attack, according to the German news agency DPA.
Local police confirmed through a statement on social media that significant police operations were underway at the holiday market. While the exact number of victims remains uncertain, reports indicate that at least one person has died. Videos shared online showed several individuals on the ground, accompanied by emergency responders at the scene.
According to reports from the Associated Press and other outlets, the driver of the car has been taken into custody.
“This is a terrible event, especially in the days leading up to Christmas,” stated Reiner Haseloff, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt. He noted that earlier in December, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had mentioned that there were no specific threats to holiday shoppers but had advised them to stay alert.
Magdeburg, home to about 200,000 people, is situated in central Germany, west of Berlin.
This incident brings to mind the 2016 attack in Berlin, where 12 people lost their lives and nearly 50 were injured when a truck plowed into a Christmas market. That event led to a global manhunt for the suspect, which ended in a police shootout in Milan, Italy.
