Afghan asylum seeker arrested after car ploughs into crowd leaving dozens of people injured including children
13 February 2025, 10:00 | Updated: 14 February 2025, 00:45
At least 28 people were injured after a Mini Cooper was driven into a crowd of protesters in Munich on Friday, with an Afghan asylum seeker arrested at the scene.
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The driver is believed to have accelerated into demonstrators linked with the Verdi trade union on Seidlstrasse at around 10:30am.
At least 28 people including children were injured, some critically.
Police said a driver arrested at the scene was an Afghan asylum seeker, 24, known to them for drug and theft offences. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder said: "It is suspected that this was an attack."
Police confirmed they opened fire on the vehicle after it hit people - in an effort to get it to stop.
On social media, one witness, a German journalist, reported the incident occurred at a rally when a car ploughed into a demonstration.
'People were sitting on the ground, crying and shaking. Details still unclear,' the reporter added.
Munich's mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) told BILD : "The police chief has just informed me that a vehicle drove into a group of people and unfortunately many people were injured, including children. I am deeply shocked. My thoughts are with the injured."
At around 10:30am the driver is reported to have accelerated before speeding into the demonstrators on Munich's Seidlstrasse.
Munich authorities respond to incident at rally
Pictures from the aftermath show a Mini Cooper with a smashed windscreen and crushed bonnet as police gather around to assess the damage.
Munich Police have urged locals to avoid the area. “There will be traffic disruptions around the scene of the incident. Please avoid the area so that the emergency services can work unhindered,” the force said in a post to X/Twitter.
Dozens of ambulances and police can be seen at the site, surrounding the Mini.
The driver was detained at the scene and poses no further danger, police said.
❗️🇩🇪 - BREAKING: A Mini Cooper drove into a group of people during a Verdi demonstration in Munich, resulting in at least 15 injuries.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) February 13, 2025
The driver was detained and poses no further threat. There are unconfirmed reports of gunfire prior to the incident. Emergency services are on… pic.twitter.com/3OeIsP5IdE
The incident happened at the scene of a protest linked to the transport union Verdi, according to local media.
Regional public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk reported that the people who were hurt were apparently participating in a strike.
It comes as world defence leaders including US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy gather in the Bavarian city for a major security conference.
Police added they do not believe the incident is related to the Munich Security Conference, which is set to begin tomorrow.
Weeks ago, a car drove into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving at least two dead and nearly 70 injured.
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