A man drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday evening, killing two and injuring at least 70, officials say.
Officials in the central German city apprehended the car’s driver, identifying him as a Saudi Arabia-born doctor with a practice in a nearby town. Local authorities are investigating the incident as an attack.
“As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, so that as far as we know, there is no further danger to the city,” local governor Reiner Haseloff told reporters, per The Associated Press.
More than a dozen of the injured were seriously hurt, with Haseloff suggesting the death toll could climb further. German public media outlet Phoenix reported that a suspected explosive device was found in the driver’s vehicle.
Christmas markets are common in Germany. The Magdeburg market, one of over 1,000 in the country, was especially busy on the final Friday evening before Christmas.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the suspected attack on social media.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” Scholz wrote.
Officials have not yet announced any potential motives in the incident, which mirrors a 2016 Berlin attack that killed 12 and injured 48. ISIS ultimately claimed responsibility for that strike.
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