Updated: The Afghan asylum seeker, Farhad N, has been arrested after officers fired a shot at his vehicle.
Updated: A 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker is in custody. He was previously known to the police for drug and theft offences.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder described the event as a “suspected attack,” saying that there must be radical changes in Germany if such tragedies were to be prevented. He further said, “We cannot go from attack to attack and raise concerns… but need to change something.”.
The attack arrives as a series of violent assaults in Germany involving asylum seekers, intensifying controversy over migration and asylum policies ahead of the country’s federal elections on 23rd February. In December, a Saudi physician who had been exiled drove into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing a few and injuring others. And just last month, an Afghan national was involved in a fatal knife attack on Aschaffenburg. All these incidents have left their mark permanently on the politics of migration in Germany.
Updates shall be provided in due time when further information is available.
In a tragic incident earlier this morning, an individual drove a car into a group of people in the heart of Munich, Germany, injuring at least 20, some of whom were reported to have serious injuries. The crash occurred near the city’s central train station on Seidlstrasse around 10:30 am local time. The driver, who was operating a white Mini Cooper, was detained at the scene and is currently in police custody.
Scenes of chaos were reported as the car zoomed into a group of approximately 1,000 protesters who were at a rally organised by the Verdi services trade union. The demonstration involved city employees demanding an 8% salary increase and other benefits. Munich mayor Dieter Reiter expressed deep shock, noting that children were among the injured.
Security officials have launched a large-scale investigation into whether the accident was intentional or not. Munich has stepped up security, especially as the Munich Security Conference will be opening tomorrow, which will include world leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This follows a similar tragedy in December 2024, when a vehicle crashed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, and killed several with many more injured.
While the investigation at Munich continues, police have appealed to members of the public not to approach the area but give emergency responders space to carry out their work.
Further updates shall come as soon as additional information becomes available.
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