At least two dead after car drives into crowd in centre of German city

At slightest 2 radical person died aft a car was driven into a radical of pedestrians successful the occidental German metropolis of Mannheim - with a ample constabulary cognition nether way.

Several radical person been "seriously injured" aft the achromatic conveyance rammed into crowds, according to German police, with a witnesser telling Reuters they saw radical lying connected the crushed and 2 being resuscitated.

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The operator is simply a 40-year-old antheral from the adjacent authorities of Rhineland-Palatinate, the state's interior curate Thomas Strobl told section media. Police said helium was taken into custody.

Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm said that the incidental unfolded connected Monday astatine astir 12.15pm section clip successful a pedestrianised portion of Mannheim's Paradeplatz area.

"We tin corroborate that 1 perpetrator was arrested," helium said. "We can't yet springiness accusation connected whether determination were further perpetrators."

A spokesperson for the German interior ministry added: "The absorption is present connected redeeming lives, treating the injured and the archetypal investigations by the authorities successful Mannheim."

Armed constabulary and forensic investigators were seen examining a achromatic conveyance with smashed windows adjacent the city's Rhine bridge.

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Police described it arsenic "a life-threatening deployment situation", saying successful an archetypal statement: "Currently, a constabulary cognition is taking spot successful the metropolis halfway of Mannheim, successful the country of Wasserturm/Plankenkopf.

"Police and rescuers are connected the way. Further accusation is not yet available. In this context, determination whitethorn beryllium impermanent postulation disruptions successful the interior city."

An alert was issued connected the Katwarn smartphone app - utilized successful large emergencies - telling radical successful Mannheim to debar the metropolis centre owed to a large constabulary deployment.

Mannheim University Hospital said it is prepared for a imaginable "mass casualty incident", implementing its catastrophe and exigency plan, and expanding intensive attraction capacity, according to German quality bureau DPA.

A full of 8 trauma teams person been made disposable - for some adults and children, according to the agency.

"Postponable operations that had not yet begun were instantly removed from the cognition program successful bid to make further operating capacity," the infirmary said successful a statement.

Crowds person been gathering successful cities crossed Germany, including its Rhineland region, for parades to people the country's carnival season.

Police were connected precocious alert aft societal media accounts connected to Islamic extremist groups called for attacks connected events planned successful Cologne and Nuremberg.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she cancelled her quality astatine the Cologne parade owed to the events successful Mannheim.

Today's incidental follows different akin ones successful caller weeks, including a deadly car onslaught astatine a Christmas market successful Magdeburg successful December and another successful Munich past month.

Mannheim has a colonisation of 326,000 radical and is astir 50 miles southbound of Frankfurt.