UPDATE 2- Car rams into Christmas market in Germany, multiple injuries reported

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - A vehicle drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening, causing multiple injuries, according to media reports.

A spokesman for the state government of Saxony-Anhalt told public broadcaster MDR that they treat the incident as an “attack” as the car drove straight into the crowd.

According to initial reports from emergency services cited by Bild daily, between 60 and 80 people were injured in the attack. The driver was arrested immediately after the incident, authorities have confirmed.

Emergency services and firefighters were promptly dispatched to the scene. Footage from the scene showed first responders working to save the injured while struggling to transport them to hospitals.

Videos posted on social media showed a dark car speeding into the crowd, sending people running in panic and causing chaos at the festive gathering. Officials had not verified the authenticity of the videos.

German police maintained a heavy security presence at the Christmas market following the incident and cordoned off the area to secure the crime scene.