After a vehicle crashed into a packed Christmas market on Friday, authorities in an eastern German city said a “extensive” police operation was in progress.
A car was seen driving through a sizable crowd of shoppers in a graphic video of the incident that was uploaded on X and geolocated to the city of Magdeburg, where it happened. While others rush to safety, several are run over. Before turning right out of the camera’s line of sight, the car accelerates straight ahead.
Up to 80 individuals were hurt in the event, according to news agency AFP, which cited rescue personnel on the ground. It was unknown if anyone had been killed, and NBC News was unable to verify these figures.
“The Magdeburg Christmas market is currently the scene of intense police operations. “The city center’s Christmas market is closed,” the police posted on X.
Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, stated
The capital of Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg, is located west of Berlin.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, forewarned of a challenging future.
Scholz wrote, “My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” in a message across X. “We support the Magdeburg community and stand by them. I want to express my gratitude to the hardworking rescuers during these stressful times.
In a post on X, Germany’s deputy chancellor Robert Habeck bemoaned the occurrence and called it “dreadful news.”
As a precaution and in reaction to the event in Germany, police in New York City have stepped up security at holiday markets, a senior NYPD official told NBC News on Friday.
More resources will be dispatched to various festive markets and prominent sites throughout the city. According to the official, there has been no specific local threat, but there have been threats to some markets abroad.
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