In short:
At least five people are dead after a car was driven into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, authorities said.
The driver of the car, who has been described by a German minister as "Islamophobic", was arrested after at least 200 people were injured in the attack.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the scene on Saturday to pay tribute to the victims.
Germany's interior minister has revealed the man who allegedly drove a car into crowds at a Christmas market, killing five people, holds "Islamophobic" views.
Five people are dead and at least 200 are injured by the attack, in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, the state premier said.
The leader of the state of Saxony Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, said on local television one of those who died was a small child and he couldn't rule out further deaths.
"Every human life that has fallen victim to this attack is a terrible tragedy and one human life too many," he said.
Mr Haseloff called it a catastrophe for the city, state and country.
The Christmas markets remain closed. (AP: Heiko Rebsch/dpa )
The country's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, later said the alleged driver is considered to hold "Islamophobic" views.
Der Spiegel magazine reported the suspect had sympathies with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the Magdeburg Christmas market on Saturday, paying tribute to the victims by laying flowers near the market.
Mr Scholz said that nearly 40 of the roughly 200 injured "are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them."
Police said the vehicle drove "at least 400 metres across the Christmas market" leaving behind a trail of bloodied casualties.
The driver of the car has been arrested following the incident. (AP: Dörthe Hein/dpa)
A video posted on social media from a position above the market shows a car driving at speed through a crowd walking between two rows of market stalls.
People can be seen being knocked to the ground and running away.
Local media reported that eyewitnesses saw a BMW drive into the crowd at around 7pm local time.
German police have arrested a doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe was the driver of the car, Mr Haseloff said.
"As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, so that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city," he added.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the attack.
Regional Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang said that the man from Saudi Arabia lived in Bernburg, some 40 kilometres south of Magdeburg, and had "a permanent residence permit".
Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has about 240,000 inhabitants.
"This is a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas," Mr Haseloff said.
Eyewitnesses told the broadcaster that the car drove straight into the crowd at the market. (AP: Heiko Rebsch/dpa )
He and Mr Scholz will discuss the "necessary measures" to be taken next, he said.
"We now need to work through this and draw long-term consequences."
Mr Scholz posted on X: “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg.”
On December 19, 2016 in Berlin, an Islamic extremist attacker drove through a crowd of Christmas market-goers with a truck, leaving 13 people dead and injuring dozens more.
The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had said late last month that there were no concrete indications of a danger to Christmas markets this year, but that it was wise to be vigilant.
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