A tragic incident unfolded on Friday at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, when a driver ploughed into the crowd, killing an adult and a young child while injuring around 60 others.
The suspect, identified as a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor who arrived in Germany in 2016, was arrested at the scene.
Reiner Haseloff, Premier of Saxony-Anhalt, called the event a devastating “catastrophe” for the city, the state, and the country.
“It’s a tragedy,” he remarked, emphasizing the broader impact on the nation.
While the investigation is ongoing, police have not found any evidence linking the driver to terrorist organizations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, describing the incident as deeply distressing.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” he posted on the social media platform X.
The tragedy bears echoes of a similar attack in Berlin eight years ago, where Anis Amri, a Tunisian asylum seeker with ties to Islamist extremism, drove into a Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring many others.
The recent incident has reignited concerns about safety at public gatherings during the holiday season.