In Germany, a car drove into a crowd, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

Information about the victims may be updated.

The incident occurred around 7 PM local time. The Christmas market is situated in the main square of Magdeburg, adjacent to the town hall. There were numerous visitors present. The area has been cordoned off, and drivers and pedestrians are advised to avoid the city center.

According to eyewitnesses, the driver of a black SUV crashed through the market's security and drove in a zigzag pattern to hit as many pedestrians as possible. According to Die Welt, the perpetrator is a Saudi Arabian national born in 1974. Police are investigating whether he acted alone. Authorities are examining the vehicle for any explosives.

A representative of the state government, Matthias Schuppe, characterized the incident as a deliberate attack.

• The event resembles the terrorist act that occurred in Berlin on December 19, 2016, when an Islamist perpetrator drove a heavy truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in the heart of the capital. Thirteen people were killed, many of whom were tourists, and at least 67 market visitors were injured. The assailant managed to escape but was shot during his arrest in Italy a few days later. The radical group "Islamic State," designated as a terrorist organization in many countries, claimed that the perpetrator acted on its behalf.

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