Two dead and at least 20 injured after car ploughs into crowd in German city

Two people are dead and numerous others are injured after a car ploughed into a busy pedestrian area in Germany.

The grey SUV smashed into a crowd of people in Leipzig city centre on Monday afternoon.

The vehicle then sped away before the alleged driver, a 33-year-old German national, was arrested, Sachsen Police said.

The city’s mayor said two people were killed. Officials added that two others were seriously injured, with 20 other casualties.

Major Mayor Burkhard Jung told reporters at the scene that they did not know anything about the alleged driver or their ‘motivation’.

He added: ‘We are devastated. All I can do right now is express my solidarity with the victims’ families.

‘Everything else will now depend on the work of the police and investigating authorities.’

The car had turned into the pedestrian zone at Augustusplatz in the east German city, near Grimmaische Straße, which leads to the main shopping district.

A person was seen on top of ​the ⁠vehicle as it sped through ‌the area, local broadcaster Radio Leipzig reported

The SUV – which local Leipziger Volkszeitung reports was a grey VW Taigo – then reportedly drove approximately 500metres all the way to Leipzig’s market square.

Emergency services declared a mass casualty incident as it was unfolding, and a large number of police officers were on the scene.

At least 10 ambulances and two helicopters have been deployed.

Leipzig is located southwest of Berlin and has more than 630,000 inhabitants, making it one of the biggest cities in eastern Germany.

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