The toll from the terrorist attack in Germany has been heavy, where a car drove into the Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, driving through a crowd of people.
Magdeburg, a city west of Berlin, is the capital of the Saxony-Anhalt region, with around 240,000 inhabitants.
Initial reports from German media indicate at least 11 dead and 80 injured, many of whom are in serious condition.
BILD reports that the driver was arrested immediately after the attack, while WELT, citing security sources, claims that the aggressor is a Saudi Arabian man, born in 1974, who had rented his vehicle shortly before the attack.
Meanwhile, the area has been surrounded by numerous police forces and it is suspected that there is an unexploded explosive device inside the BMW car.
Meanwhile, rescue teams have set up tents in the market square to provide first aid to the injured near the city hall, on the banks of the Elbe River. Ambulances and rescue helicopters from the city of Halle have also been dispatched to assist local authorities in Magdeburg.
Videos circulating on social media show the car speeding through the crowd as people run in panic to escape. The car is reported to have traveled at least 400 meters into the market.
In German media, eyewitnesses say that the aggressor's car, after passing the barriers, took several families' money, while the driver walked in a zigzag manner to hit as many people as possible.
In his first comment on the event, the prime minister of the Saxony-Anhalt region, Rainer Hasselof, stressed that it is "a terrible event, especially now in the days before Christmas."
According to the representative of the Saxony-Anhalt regional government, Matthias Suppe, it is "an obvious terrorist attack." The city representative, Marcel Reif, also said that according to initial information it was an attack.
"My thoughts go to the victims and their families. We stand with you and the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescuers in these hours of disaster," wrote Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the 'X' platform.
CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz reacted by saying that "the news from Magdeburg is very disappointing."
AfD leader Alice Weidel also described the images as shocking, demanding accountability by asking: "When will this madness end?"