Editor’s Note: For the latest updates regarding casualties at the Christmas market incident in Magdeburg, Germany, check out YSL News coverage.

A tragic incident occurred in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening, when a car drove into a crowd celebrating at a Christmas market, resulting in at least two fatalities, as confirmed by local officials.

Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt, where Magdeburg is located, reported that over 60 individuals sustained injuries, including a young child among the deceased.

Authorities have apprehended the suspect, identified by Haseloff as a Saudi Arabian doctor who acted independently.

Describing the event as a “terrible tragedy,” Haseloff remarked that it represents a catastrophe for Magdeburg, the state, and Germany as a whole.

While police have not disclosed the number of casualties, they confirmed a significant operation at the market, where people had gathered for Christmas festivities.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the reports of the incident, expressing his condolences to the victims and their families via a post on X, a social media platform.

Aerial footage shared on social media depicted the chaotic scene, showing a car speeding through the market, with people fleeing and falling as they were struck. Reuters verified the location, confirming that the trees and buildings in the video matched the area’s layout.

In late November, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser advised vigilance at Christmas markets due to heightened security concerns.

This incident echoes a tragedy from eight years prior, when a truck driven by Anis Amri, a failed asylum seeker with links to extremist groups, plowed through a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring many more.

(This report has been updated to reflect new information and correct typographical errors.)