Berlin police are investigating a “presumed terrorist attack” after at least 12 people were killed and about 50 injured when a truck ploughed into a Christmas market in the city on Monday evening.
They are interrogating a suspect – thought to be the driver – who was arrested 2km from the scene and are working on the assumption the black Scania articulated truck was deliberately driven into the busy market in Breitscheidplatz. The truck had a runup of about 80 metres before crashing into market stalls and shoppers outside Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church, at about 8pm.
A man found in the truck was ruled out by police as the driver at the time of the attack. He died as a result of the crash and was later identified as a Polish citizen. The Polish delivery company that owned the vehicle said it lost touch with the driver at 4pm local time after it left the country for Berlin.
Owner Ariel Zurawki said he feared the vehicle, driven by his cousin, might have been hijacked. He told the Polish news outlet TVN24: “They must have done something to my driver.”
Christmas market attack 'particularly repugnant' if carried out by refugee, says Merkel - as it happened
Police say they believe truck ‘deliberately’ driven into crowd, killing 12 people and injuring 48 at Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz
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Doctors treating patients at the scene and in clinics across Berlin reported a high number of fractures and internal injuries – including bleeding and damaged organs. One doctor said operations would be going on through the night with many of the injured in a life-threatening state so off-duty doctors across Berlin were being brought in.
A witness told the Guardian the truck hit the market at speed. “It was not an accident. The truck was going 40mph. It was in the middle of a square, there are main roads either side, [where it could have come from]. But it showed no sign of slowing down,” said Emma Rushton, a British tourist.
She said it crashed into a stall only a few feet from where she and her friend were standing. “We heard a massive bang. About eight to 10 feet in front of us was where the lorry ploughed through. It ploughed through the stall where we bought our mulled wine.
Time to start taking this **** seriously. No more political correctness. No more "religion of peace!!". Islam has a problem with fundamentalism. Start screening the **** out of refugees, start tracking and checking up on the previously existing ones. Start treating Imams who preach violence (they exist) seriously and deport them. You don't have to consider every Muslim a terrorist, but you need to taking concrete actions.
Time to start taking this **** seriously. No more political correctness. No more "religion of peace!!". Islam has a problem with fundamentalism. Start screening the **** out of refugees, start tracking and checking up on the previously existing ones. Start treating Imams who preach violence (they exist) seriously and deport them. You don't have to consider every Muslim a terrorist, but you need to taking concrete actions.