Two individuals have lost their lives, and eleven others have sustained injuries after a vehicle was intentionally driven into a crowd in the western German city of Mannheim, followed by the driver taking his own life.
Among the injured, five are in severe condition, after a black vehicle struck pedestrians on Monday, as per reports from German police and prosecutors.
During a press briefing, it was stated that the driver deliberately crashed into the crowd and is under investigation for murder and attempted murder.
They also noted that the man shot himself in the mouth upon arrest and is now in stable condition in the hospital. Investigators are looking into the possibility of psychological issues.
Forensics officers examine the damaged car near Mannheim’s Rhine Bridge. Pic: DPA/AP
Armed police examine the scene where the car was abandoned. Pic:DPA/AP
The state’s interior minister Thomas Strobl announced the detention of a 40-year-old man from the nearby state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
“At this point, we have no indications of the crime being motivated by extremist or religious factors,” he remarked.
Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm stated the incident occurred on Monday at approximately 12.15pm local time in a pedestrianized part of Mannheim’s Paradeplatz area.
Mannheim is approximately 50 miles south of Frankfurt.
Law enforcement and forensic investigators were observed examining a black vehicle with shattered windows near the city’s Rhine Bridge.
Local authorities added that the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) would be leading the investigation in collaboration with the Mannheim Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Emergency services in the Paradeplatz area of Mannheim. Pic: AP
Pic: DPA/AP
Paradeplatz, Mannheim. Pic: Reuters
Emergency services patrol the scene after the incident. Pic: Reuters
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Police initially described the incident as “a life-threatening deployment situation” in Mannheim, in the area of Wasserturm/Plankenkopf.
An alert was issued on the Katwarn smartphone app – used in major emergencies – telling people in Mannheim to avoid the city centre due to a big police deployment.
Police vehicles at the scene. Pic: Reuters
Earlier Mannheim University Hospital stated it was prepared for a possible “mass casualty incident”, having implemented its disaster and emergency plan and increased intensive care capacity, as reported by German news agency DPA.
A total of eight trauma teams were made available – for both adults and children, as per the agency.
“Postponable operations that had not yet begun were immediately removed from the operation plan to create additional operating capacity,” the hospital communicated in a statement.
Emergency workers in Mannheim city centre. Pic: DPA/AP
Crowds had been gathering in cities across Germany, including its Rhineland region, for parades marking the country’s carnival season.
Police were on high alert after social media accounts linked to Islamic extremist groups called for attacks on events planned in Cologne and Nuremberg.
The incident follows other similar ones in recent weeks, including a deadly car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg in December and another in Munich last month.
Mannheim has a population of 326,000 people and is approximately 50 miles south of Frankfurt.
