Man Plows Into Crowd at Magdeburg Christmas Market: Death Toll Rises

Man Plows Into Crowd at Magdeburg Christmas Market: Death Toll Rises Angelika Baibak

A tragedy occurred in the German city of Magdeburg on December 20. A man drove into a crowd at a Christmas market. As a result, there were fatalities and many injuries.

This was reported by 24 Kanal with reference to the BBC, AFP and Bild.

There were fatalities as a result of the terrorist attack

As of the evening of December 23, there were already 235 victims in Magdeburg. Five people died, including a nine-year-old boy and four women aged between 45 and 75.

More than 200 people were injured after a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market, officials said. Many were seriously injured, Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Rainer Haseloff told reporters on Saturday, December 21. German media reported at the time that 41 people were seriously injured.

On the afternoon of December 21, it became known that the death toll had risen to 5. Among the victims was a child, the BBC reported.

Note that information about the dead in different German media outlets differed. The Bild publication had previously reported 11 victims.

Also on the evening of December 21, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported that among the injured was a Ukrainian citizen born in 1972. She is in serious condition in a German clinic.

Recall that at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, a man drove into a crowd. According to the media, the man drove a BMW at high speed for about 400 meters. The man's actions have already been classified as a terrorist attack.

The attacker was immediately detained. The media claim that the man is 50 years old and is from Saudi Arabia.

Der Spiegel notes that the driver was a psychiatrist by education and worked as a doctor. In 2006, he received refugee status when he moved to Germany.

In addition, there was luggage on the front seat next to the man. Investigators did not rule out the possibility that there was an explosive device inside. However, law enforcement officials later established that there were no explosives. They are also checking the theory of whether the driver acted alone or had accomplices.

The police continue to establish all the facts of the terrible accident. The city center, where the Christmas market was taking place, is currently closed. Law enforcement officials are not disclosing details about the incident.

After the terrorist attack in Magdeburg, Christmas markets in other cities are closing. The authorities say that these are temporary security measures.