synopsis
A car sped and rammed into a crowd in Mannheim, Germany on Monday, leaving several seriously injured on the ground.
A car sped and rammed into a crowd in Mannheim, Germany on Monday, leaving one dead and injuring several others on the ground, police confirmed. Rescuers were seen performing CPR on those injured. The incident took place during the popular carnival season in Germany.
Eyewitnesses reported multiple casualties, with debris scattered across the scene and at least one body covered under a tarp.
Emergency response is underway.
Local reports suggested that a black car was driven into the crowd, following which heavily armed police was rushed to the scene, and local hospital was put on high alert.
Local newspaper Mannheimer Morgen said that a security alert was sent on an emergency warning app, Katwarn, with authorities requesting residents to stay away from the city centre.
One arrested
According to Guardian, one suspect was arrested at the scene, with officers looking into whether there were other suspects involved.
German police remained on high alert for this year’s carnival parades after social media accounts connected to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks on the events in Cologne and Nuremberg.
While there has been no confirmation that the incident was a deliberate attack, these early reports will cause alarm after recent attacks involving driving cars into crowds in recent months.
In February, an Afghan man drove a car into a group of demonstrators in Munich, killing two people.
In December, six people where killed in Magdeburg after a Saudi-born man drove into the crowds at a Christmas market.
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