A car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing at least two people, an adult and a toddler, and injuring at least 60 others, according to local authorities. The driver was arrested and identified as a Saudi doctor with a German residence permit. Read our liveblog to follow how the developments unfolded.
(This liveblog is no longer being updated.)
A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday.
Two people were killed and 60 injured, according to Magdeburg local authorities.
The driver was arrested shortly after the incident. The suspect is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who first came to Germany in 2006, said the interior minister for the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his thoughts were with the victims and their families, in a post on X.
Saudi Arabia condemns Christmas market attack
Saudi Arabia condemns the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, the Gulf country's foreign ministry
said in a statement.
A German official described the suspect as a doctor from Saudi Arabia who was acting alone.
Saudi Arabia's statement made no mention of the suspect.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has offered his sympathies to the victims of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack.
Magdeburg police asks for witnesses
Magdeburg police has put out a statement on X calling on witnesses to report to their offices.
Starmer 'horrified' by 'atrocious attack'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reacted to the Magdeburg market tragedy, calling it an "atrocious attack".
In a post on X, Starmer said Britain "stands with the people of Germany".
Harry Kane offers 'condolences' to victims of 'horrific tragedy'
After a football match this evening between Bayern Munich and Leipzig, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen asked fans at the club’s stadium to observe a minute of silence.
Bayern Munich star striker Harry Kane offers his condolences to "all those affected by the horrific tragedy" in a post on X.
Popular Christmas market attracts visitors from across Germany
"We're getting more information about why the Magdeburg Christmas market was so crowded," says FRANCE 24's Nick Holdsworth, reporting from Berlin.
"Apparently, it is considered one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany, and people come from across that region, and indeed from all parts of Germany, to visit there," explains Holdsworth.
"That may be part of the reason why the suspect targeted that particular place to carry out what looks like a terror attack, and is being called as such by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz," he notes.
Evening of holiday fun at German Christmas market turns to horror
Spanish PM Sanchez 'shocked' by 'terrible attack' in Germany
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he is “shocked” by the “terrible attack” in Germany.
Sanchez said he spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz "to convey my solidarity to the victims, their families and to all the German people," in a post on X.
Suspect was a 'lone attacker'
Details coming in on the suspect, who was arrested shortly after the car rammed into the Magdeburg Christmas market.
The suspect is a 50-year-old Saudi man, Saxony-Anhalt's regional interior minister Tamara Zieschang has told reporters at the scene.
Authorities have not named him, but state premier of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff said he is "a doctor who has been in Germany since 2006".
Authorities were "in the process of gathering all further data and also conducting an interrogation", he added.
"From what we currently know, he was a lone attacker, so we don't think there is any further danger for the city."
The man from Saudi Arabia lived in Bernburg, some 40 kilometres (24 miles) south of Magdeburg, and had "a permanent residence permit", Zieschang said.
Ursula von der Leyen condemns ‘brutal and cowardly act'
"My thoughts are with the victims of the brutal and cowardly act in Magdeburg today", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X.
"My condolences go to the relatives and friends, my thanks to the police and the emergency services. This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished."
'Violence should have no place in our democracies' Giorgia Meloni says
"I am deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the defenceless crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg", Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X.
"I sympathise, with the entire government, with the families of the victims, the injured and the entire German people. Violence should have no place in our democracies."
Special police arrive at Magdeburg Christmas market site
Special police forces arrive at the Christmas market site in Magdeburg. (Photo: Heiko Rebsch/dpa via AP)
Magdeburg police call on residents to ‘stay at home’
Magdeburg police issued a message on X asking the city's residents to "stay at home" after a car fatally crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market.
"This would greatly facilitate our work", said the police.
France's Macron says on X he is 'shocked' by German market attack
"I am deeply shocked by the horror that has struck the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany this evening", French president Emmanuel Macron posted on X.
"My thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families. France shares the grief of the German people and expresses its full solidarity."
Saudi man arrested after Magdeburg attack, state premier says
A Saudi man has been arrested after the car ramming attack in Magdeburg, the state premier said.
"We have arrested the perpetrator, it is a man from Saudi Arabia... a doctor who has been in Germany since 2006," state premier of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff told reporters at the scene. "From what we currently know he was a lone attacker so we don't think there is any further danger for the city."
Police made the arrest after the vehicle drove "at least 400 metres across the Christmas market", leaving behind a trail of bloodied casualties at the city's central town hall square.
Car drives into a crowd at Christmas market in Germany
A car barrelled through a Christmas market crowd in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving 60 to 80 people injured, in what regional authorities were treating as a suspected attack.
FRANCE 24's Nick Holdsworth reports from Berlin.
Reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad, says Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern about an incident in the city of Magdeburg.
"The reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad. My thoughts are with the victims and their families," Scholz wrote in a post on social media platform X.
Second person confirmed dead, at least 68 injured
Death toll in Magdeburg market attack rises to two, according to authorities.
At least one killed and 50 injured after a car drove into a German Christmas market, official says
The deputy mayor of the Germany city of Magdeburg said Friday that at least one person was killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a busy Christmas market in what authorities suspect was an attack.
Regina-Dolores Stieler-Hinz said that more than 50 people were injured, German news agency dpa reported.
Authorities say the driver of the car was arrested.
