- Three people are dead and 20 were injured after a van plowed into a group of people in the German city of Münster Saturday.
- German authorities have not yet determined whether the attack was intentional.
- The driver reportedly shot himself after the incident.
- "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
A vehicle drove into a group of people in the western German city of Münster on Saturday, killing three people and injuring 20, German authorities confirmed.
BILD reported that six of the injured are in life-threatening condition.
Local media said that a small truck drove into a seated group of people. BILD reported that the area was crowded prior to the crash, and that the driver shot himself after the incident.
According to The Evening Standard, police have questioned witnesses about whether there were others in the van along with the driver, and the German news agency DPA reported that some witnesses said there were two others in the van besides the driver.
The identity of the driver is not yet known.
Authorities are treating the incident as a deliberate attack, CNN reported, citing a police spokesperson.
Officials said that they are not looking for any further suspects. In addition to police, special forces were also deployed to the scene of the incident. BILD reported that there were more police forces present than usual in the city on Saturday because of a planned protest by Kurdish demonstrators that was scheduled to take place around the same time the attack occurred.
There is no evidence that either of the two events were connected.
German media outlets also said police evacuated buildings around the location of the incident because of a suspicious item that was discovered in the van.
Münster resident Daniel Kollenberg told BBC he was "shocked" by the incident and described the area as "completely under lockdown."
He added that there was a "heavy police presence" and that "two police helicopters are in the air."
Sky News reported that the incident occurred around the Kiepenkerl statue in old town. The statue is one of the key symbols of the city.
Local authorities from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia said people should avoid the city center while rescue operations were underway.
"There are dead and wounded, please avoid the area," officials wrote on Twitter.
Some observers posted photos of the scene shortly after the incident.
"Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
Münster is located around 250 miles from Germany's capital, Berlin, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has a population of roughly 310,000 people.
Münster University Hospital also began asking for blood donations after the incident.
The incident comes almost exactly one year after four people were killed when a truck drove into a crowd in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Read again 3 dead, 20 injured after van plows into crowd in Germany : https://ift.tt/2GJXmbMBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "3 dead 20 injured after van plows into crowd in Germany"
Post a Comment