A car traveling at a high speed has plowed into a crowd of civilians during a Christmas market in Germany, according to local media reports.
The incident occurred in the city of Magdeburg in Eastern Germany.
News agency DPA said the driver had been arrested following the incident in the eastern city of Magdeburg.
Public broadcaster MDR said at least one person had been killed.
The outlet quoted local government spokesperson Matthias Schuppe as saying it was an attack.
In a post on X, Police said that “extensive operations” were taking place at the market.
The market was closed and further reports would follow, police added.
Weihnachtsmarkt Magdeburg has posted on Instagram warning people to leave the market and allow emergency services to do their work.
Initial videos from the scene show what appears to be a car “driving at speed” into a crowd at a Christmas market.
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The police have put out a statement saying that an extensive police operation has been launched.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm whether it is a terror attack.
Local media reports have confirmed that one person is dead.
However, conflicted reports on X are suggesting that at least three people have been killed and as many as 12.
There has been a warning for Christmas markets across Europe to be on high alert for possible terror attacks.
Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser said last month there were no concrete signs of a danger to Christmas markets this year.
However, Faeser added it was wise to be vigilant.
On December 19, 2016, an Islamic extremist drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin.
The incident killed 13 people and injured dozens more.
Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has a population of about 240,000.
