Several injured after car drives into group of people in Munich, police say – BBC.com

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from Munich

I’m yards from a shattered white Mini Cooper, lying at a pedestrian crossing in the middle of three lanes of traffic, now cordoned off by police.

There’s a major dent in the roof and windscreen. One of the headlights has come off and the front bumper is broken.

What looks from here like a shopping buggy is strewn across the floor, as well as half a dozen umbrellas and hi-vis jackets.

The nearest shops to where the vehicle has stopped are an ice cream parlour and a fitness shop.

About a kilometre up the road is Munich’s main railway station.

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from Munich

We’ve just spoken to three university students who were doing some work at a coffee shop on the street where the incident happened.

They came outside when they heard shouting. They were confronted with a “distressing” scene and saw “lots of people running for shelter”.

Pedestrians sprinted for cover in shops and residential buildings that line either side of the thoroughfare.

One student, who didn’t wanted to give her name, says “tt’s obviously very unsettling. I can’t concentrate on anything else.”

A familiar dread for Germany, as a national election approachespublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time

Jessica Parker
Berlin correspondent

Across Germany, people will have felt a familiar sense of dread and horror on hearing these initial reports.

In 2016, a truck was driven into a Christmas market in Berlin by a Tunisian man who was a failed asylum seeker and had been a known jihadist threat – leading to 13 deaths.

In December last year a car ploughed through crowds, again at a Christmas market, in the city of Magdeburg. Six people died and around 300 were injured. The suspect was a 50-year-old Saudi man who’d been an outspoken critic of Islam.

Magdeburg was the deadliest in a string of attacks over the last year in Germany, involving suspects who’ve been asylum seekers.

It’s heightened an already tense migration debate in Germany, ahead of a national election next week. While many details still aren’t known, police say the man they’ve detained in Munich is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who was known to them for theft and drug offences.

Bavaria’s state premier, Markus Soder, has said what’s happened today is presumably an attack.

Here’s more details from Munich police spokesman, Christian Huber, about the moments before and after the suspected attack.

A police vehicle was travelling at the rear of the Verdi trade union rally, he says.

“A vehicle approached and came up behind the police vehicle. It then moved to overtake, accelerated and reached the end of the rally…

“[Police] colleagues caught the attacker. One shot was fired at the vehicle. The attacker was arrested. We currently estimate that we have at least 28 people injured, some seriously.

“The exact number has not yet been determined. As regards the attacker, what we can say is that he is a 24-year-old Afghan, with asylum seeker status.”

Earlier, we reported that witnesses told Germany’s Bild newspaper that police shot at the vehicle after it hit the group pf people.

Police now confirm that they did shoot at the vehicle – we don’t know at this stage if this caused any injuries.

Munich police say the car approached police cars at the Verdi trade union demonstration, then sped up and hit people.

As we previously reported, Bavaria’s prime minister said the crash appears to be a “suspected attack”.

According to police, the 24-year-old Afghan national suspected of driving the car is an asylum seeker.

Police add they do not believe the incident is related to the Munich Security Conference, which is set to begin tomorrow.

More now from the news conference, where Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder says the crash is a “suspected attack”.

“The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany – and quickly,” he says.

Damien McGuinness
Berlin correspondent

Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder says the Munich car incident was presumably an attack.

As we just reported, police say the suspect is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.

At least 28 people are injured, some seriously.

Officials say the suspect was known to the police for theft and drug offences.

Munich police say the driver of the car that crashed into the group was a 24-year-old Afghan.

We’ll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.

We’ll have updates from the police in Munich very soon – press watch live above to follow along.

We just reported that eyewitnesses told reporters that two men were in the vehicle that crashed into a group in Munich.

In a new update on their X account, Munich police repeat they have “secured” the driver, but say they are unable to confirm reports that another person was involved.

We’ll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.

Eyewitnesses to the incident tell German newspaper Bild, that two men were in the vehicle – a Mini Cooper – when it crashed into the group.

One of the men was shot by police and taken away from the scene, the witnesses say.

The BBC has not been able to verify this claim – we’ll have more reports from the scene soon.

We have a new update from Munich police, who say at least two people have serious injuries.

Emergency services are still on site, they add.

Earlier, the fire brigade told news agency AFP that some of the victims are in “a life-threatening condition”.

As a reminder, authorities say around 20 people were injured in total.

We’ve just had an update from German police, who say around 20 injured people are being treated by rescue workers.

“We do not yet have any information about the severity of the injuries,” they say in a statement on X, adding that rescue helicopters are in use.

We’re getting more images from the scene of the incident in Munich.

The street has been cordoned off and large numbers of emergency workers are at the site.

We’ll also have some video from the scene shortly – stay with us.

Damien McGuinness
Berlin correspondent

Police on German TV say at least 20 people have been injured – several critically and severely.

It’s still not clear whether the driver acted intentionally or whether it was an accident.

Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter tells German newspaper Bild that he was told by police officials that children were among those injured.

“I am deeply shocked. My thoughts are with the injured,” he says.

Damien McGuinness
Berlin correspondent

Police say they have “secured” the driver and there is no further danger.

According to local media reports the car drove into a Verdi trade union demonstration. But officials say it’s not clear what’s behind the incident.

A police spokesman told local broadcaster BR that police are checking whether there was a link between the demo and the incident.

Police have sealed off the area, are calling for people to avoid the area to allow emergency vehicle access, and are asking witnesses to pass on information.