‘At least one dead’ and several injured after high-speed car ramming attack in Germany – Police lockdown city centre

One person is believed to be dead after a car drove into a crowd of pedestrians in the west German city of Mannheim.

A spokesman for the German police said there is a presence in the area around Wasserturm and Plankenkopf.

The public have been urged to avoid Mannheim city centre and to take a wide detour with eyewitnesses saying “multiple” people are believed to be injured.

German news website Bild reports a driver on the Planken shopping street near the water tower drove into a crowd in the pedestrian zone directly at the Galeria Kaufhof

The incident occurred as crowds gathered in cities across regions including Germany’s Rhineland for parades to mark the carnival season.

A spokesman for German Police said: “There is currently a police operation in Mannheim city center, in the area around Wasserturm/Plankenkopf. Police and rescue services are on their way. Further information is not yet available. In this context, there may be temporary traffic disruptions in the city centre.”

The intensive care unit of the nearby university hospital has declared a disaster alert. Bild reports the driver of the car has been arrested. Eyewitnesses report that debris is strewn across the scene, with at least one body covered by a tarp.

All roads and bridges leading out of the city are being monitored by police with submachine guns, and a helicopter is circling over the city centre.

More to follow…