Berlin– Nine people were killed and up to 50 injured when a truck ploughed into a crowded Christmas market in a popular shopping area in Berlin on Monday evening, in what police say they suspect was an attack.
Police said one of the alleged attackers had been arrested, while another, believed to be the passenger in the truck died at the scene.
Amateur videos allegedly taken directly after the attack and aired on German TV showed people lying on the ground amid police sirens.
The truck, which German TV also reported had Polish license plates, destroyed numerous stands at the market beneath the historic Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church, which is adjacent to one of the German capital’s most popular shopping areas.
A truck near the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church in western Berlin. At least nine people have been killed and 50 injured in an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, police and fire department officials say. Photo: Paul Zinken/dpa
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said through her spokesman that she is mourning those killed in the attack. “We are mourning the dead and hope the many people injured can get help,” Steffen Seibert said on Twitter.
Christmas markets have a long history in Germany stretching back to the Middle Ages.
However, more recently they have grown dramatically to become popular places to socialize – to drink mulled wine and to eat snacks in the last weeks running up to Christmas.
Security has also been increased at many of the nation’s Christmas markets this year, according to a recent dpa survey of the markets.
A large number of streets were cordoned off around the church as police patrolled the area with machine guns.
Berlin’s mayor Michael Mueller said the situation in the capital was under control after the deadly attack.
“What we are seeing here, is dramatic,” said Mueller at the scene of the attack at Breitscheidplatz. His thoughts were with the families of the dead and injured, he said.
Berlin police warned residents to remain indoors and to avoid spreading rumours about the attack at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church.
If established as a terrorist attack, the incident will come less than six months after two attacks in Germany in July inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.
A 12-year-old boy with dual German-Iraqi citizenship allegedly attempted to explode a nail bomb at a Christmas market in the western German city of Ludwighafen a few weeks ago.
The Berlin attack also followed a truck attack by a terrorist on a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city Nice. The attack, which was claimed by Islamic State, left 86 people dead.
(dpa)
