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 suspect surrendered to police at the scene and is being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder, authorities have confirmed.
The attack sparked global condemnation from world leaders, including UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said he was “horrified” by the “atrocious attack”.
