In Germany, a vehicle drove into a crowd, resulting in multiple fatalities.

Among the deceased is a small child, local authorities confirmed. Of the 90 injured, many have serious injuries. Previously, reports indicated four fatalities.

A vehicle drove into a crowd at a Christmas market operating in the central city square on the evening of December 20. According to AFP and based on video published by several media outlets, a black BMW sped through the crowd for about 400 meters towards the town hall.

The driver, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, was detained at the scene. He is suspected of intentionally running over people. The motives remain unclear.

"We do not know any circumstances that led to this crime. We are considering all possibilities," said a police spokesperson. Investigators believe the suspect acted alone. The police announced on social media platform X that the vehicle found near the tragedy site in the city center is not connected to the incident. "Currently, we have no indications of an accomplice. Searches are being conducted in the city of Bernburg," the police noted.

According to media reports, the detainee had been living in Germany since 2006 when he arrived in the country for studies and received refugee status in 2016. Some time later, he renounced his Islamic faith. Reports also mention his critical statements about the Saudi Arabian authorities. In 2019, this individual gave an interview to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung about the situation in his home country, stating among other things that "there is no good Islam."

The country's president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, stated that "the joy of the peaceful Christmas celebration has been brutally cut short."

"My thoughts are with the victims and their families," wrote German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On December 21, he visited Magdeburg accompanied by other government officials, including the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice. They visited the site of the tragedy and met with representatives of the regional cabinet.

The Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, previously promised the Saxony-Anhalt government assistance in the investigation.

The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, described the incident as a catastrophe for Magdeburg, the federal state, and Germany as a whole. An evening memorial service will be held at the Magdeburg Cathedral. "We will need a lot of time to grieve," shared the city’s mayor, Simone Borris.

Condolences were expressed by leaders from the USA, UK, France, and other countries, as well as the leadership of the European Union.

The government of Saudi Arabia condemned the attack on people in Germany and expressed solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims.

The suspect worked as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist at a hospital in Bernburg, located near the capital of the federal state. He was not known to law enforcement as a radical Islamist. The vehicle was rented by this individual shortly before the incident, which some officials have already labeled as an "attack" and "terrorist act." The investigation is ongoing.

According to broadcasters WDR and NDR, in the community of Saudi Arabian emigrants, the suspect had been assisting asylum seekers, primarily women. Based on his social media posts, it can be inferred that he feared the Islamization of Germany and felt he was being monitored. The suspect was sympathetic to the right-wing populist party "Alternative for Germany," known for its anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim stance. He shared posts from party leader Alice Weidel and American businessman Elon Musk, and also wrote on X that Germany should close its borders to illegal migrants.

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