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Berlin truck crash: 'suspicious person' arrested after nine killed at Christmas market – live Berlin truck crash: 'suspicious person' arrested after nine killed at Christmas market – live
(35 minutes later)
10.31pm GMT
22:31
White House condemns 'what appears to have been a terrorist attack'
A statement from the White House condemns “what appears to have been a terrorist attack” in Berlin, and noting that the US government has been in touch with German officials and offers assistance as required.
The statement by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price reads in full:
The United States condemns in the strongest terms what appears to have been a terrorist attack on a Christmas Market in Berlin, Germany, which has killed and wounded dozens. We send our thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of those killed, just as we wish a speedy recovery to all of those wounded. We also extend our heartfelt condolences to the people and government of Germany. We have been in touch with German officials, and we stand ready to provide assistance as they recover from and investigate this horrific incident. Germany is one of our closest partners and strongest allies, and we stand together with Berlin in the fight against all those who target our way of life and threaten our societies.
10.26pm GMT
22:26
German chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted that Merkel was in contact with the interior minister and mayor about the “shocking” news of the Christmas market truck crash.
“We mourn the dead and hope that the many people injured can be helped,” he wrote.
Entsetzliche Nachrichten vom #Breitscheidplatz. Kanzlerin #Merkel ist mit Innenminister und Reg. Bürgermeister im Kontakt. (1)
#Breitscheidplatz - Wir trauern um die Toten und hoffen, dass den vielen Verletzten geholfen werden kann. (2)
10.23pm GMT
22:23
Polish owner of Berlin truck says driver 'missing'
The Polish owner of the truck that plowed into the Berlin Christmas market killing at least nine people, confirmed to the AFP that his driver was missing.
“We haven’t heard from him since this afternoon. We don’t know what happened to him. He’s my cousin, I’ve known him since I was a kid. I can vouch for him,” transport company owner Ariel Zurawski told AFP.
Reuters reports that Zurawski fears the truck may have been hijacked. He said he last spoke with his cousin around noon. His cousin, the driver, told him he was in Berlin and was scheduled to unload the truck on Tuesday morning. The incident at the Berlin Christmas market took place on Monday evening.
Zurawki said that “they must have done something to my driver,” he told TVN24.
10.12pm GMT
22:12
Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly on the phenomenon of German Christmas markets:
Nothing epitomizes a German Christmas better than the Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas Market. The most famous are in Nuremberg and Dresden, but Berlin alone boasts around 60 of them, and thousands of others take place between the end of November and Christmas, across the country, a reflection of how seriously Germans take their Christmas.
At a time of year when the cold can be biting the Christmas Market is an absolute respite from weary winter days, attracting young and old alike, from families to work colleagues for whom it’s a popular place to gather for a pre-Christmas drink.
Glühwein - literally ‘glowwine’ or mulled wine - is the staple drink. There’s also a Feuerzangenbowle or rum punch, involving pouring hot rum onto a spit of solid sugar until it melts. Hot chestnuts, ginger biscuits, roasted almonds, fried sausages and candied fruits are the main food on offer, along with stodgier fare such as kale and spicy sausage.
In lit up wooden stalls, craftspeople sell their wares - everything from bespoke brushes and sheep skin rugs to designer jewellry and artisan cheeses. There are tight quality controls to ensure the markets don’t become magnets for trashy rubbish.
The Christmas markets have become one of Germany’s most popular cultural exports of recent years, with market organizers selling their concepts to cities across Britain and the United States. In cities like Birmingham and Leeds, where German craftsmen are dispatched to build the wooden stalls, they have become firm events in the Christmas calendar over the past decade.
They have long been seen as a soft target for terrorists. Some in the city, such as the Gendarmenmarkt have set up tight security cordons in recent years and charge an entry fee, offering the promise of tightened security. Others like that on Breidtscheidtplatz, which is right in the centre of the main shopping boulevard in the western centre of the city, have boasted of their openness.
10.03pm GMT
22:03
If anyone you know is missing following the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market incident, Berlin police have a phone number available to call.
You miss someone?call: 030 54023 111#Breitscheidplatz
9.56pm GMT9.56pm GMT
21:5621:56
Here are some photos from the scene:Here are some photos from the scene:
9.53pm GMT9.53pm GMT
21:5321:53
SummarySummary
Just a recap of what we know so far:Just a recap of what we know so far:
9.48pm GMT9.48pm GMT
21:4821:48
My colleague Kate Connolly has noted that the main website of Berlin tourism, Visit Berlin, offers an explanation of how what the Breitscheidtplatz market consists of:My colleague Kate Connolly has noted that the main website of Berlin tourism, Visit Berlin, offers an explanation of how what the Breitscheidtplatz market consists of:
You know it’s the festive season when the area around the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church starts smelling of roasted almonds, hot chocolate and mulled wine. More than 100 booths add a seasonal touch at this traditional Christmas market in the heart of City West.You know it’s the festive season when the area around the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church starts smelling of roasted almonds, hot chocolate and mulled wine. More than 100 booths add a seasonal touch at this traditional Christmas market in the heart of City West.
Located on the festively decorated Breitscheidplatz between Kurfürstendamm and Zoologischer Garten, handmade crafts, Christmas decorations, winter clothing, children’s toys and lovingly crafted accessories are on display and ready to stuff your Christmas stocking.Located on the festively decorated Breitscheidplatz between Kurfürstendamm and Zoologischer Garten, handmade crafts, Christmas decorations, winter clothing, children’s toys and lovingly crafted accessories are on display and ready to stuff your Christmas stocking.
There are also stands at the Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church offering hearty Thuringian bratwurst, sweet waffles, candied fruit and nuts – the whole range of seasonal treats. Mulled wine and homemade eggnog is served in the warmth of the conservatories and pavilions.There are also stands at the Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church offering hearty Thuringian bratwurst, sweet waffles, candied fruit and nuts – the whole range of seasonal treats. Mulled wine and homemade eggnog is served in the warmth of the conservatories and pavilions.
The small carousels cause children’s eyes to light up and add a nostalgic charm to the market.The small carousels cause children’s eyes to light up and add a nostalgic charm to the market.
9.45pm GMT9.45pm GMT
21:4521:45
Kate ConnollyKate Connolly
From our Berlin correspondent:From our Berlin correspondent:
The man was the co-driver/passenger died in an ambulance.The man was the co-driver/passenger died in an ambulance.
The lorry was registered to a company in Stettin, Poland. It was on its way back to Poland, having started its journey in Italy. It was due to unload in Berlin where the driver was due to have a break.The lorry was registered to a company in Stettin, Poland. It was on its way back to Poland, having started its journey in Italy. It was due to unload in Berlin where the driver was due to have a break.
The head of the company has said the registered driver was his cousin. He’s said he’d put his hand in the fire that his cousin would not have been behind this attack. The strong suspicion is that the vehicle was hijacked at some point during its journey.The head of the company has said the registered driver was his cousin. He’s said he’d put his hand in the fire that his cousin would not have been behind this attack. The strong suspicion is that the vehicle was hijacked at some point during its journey.
9.43pm GMT9.43pm GMT
21:4321:43
A Berlin photographer and social media news producer, Mischa Heuer, has been tweeting photos of how the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market looked like just one week ago.A Berlin photographer and social media news producer, Mischa Heuer, has been tweeting photos of how the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market looked like just one week ago.
The Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz is one of the major tourist attractions in #Berlin. This is what it looked like. pic.twitter.com/raR2P5iwXeThe Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz is one of the major tourist attractions in #Berlin. This is what it looked like. pic.twitter.com/raR2P5iwXe
This is Breitscheidplatz a week ago. On the left corner of the photo that's where the truck plowed into the Christmas market. #Berlin pic.twitter.com/PSMWLWPdPhThis is Breitscheidplatz a week ago. On the left corner of the photo that's where the truck plowed into the Christmas market. #Berlin pic.twitter.com/PSMWLWPdPh
This is the Breitscheidplatz a week ago. It's one of the most beautiful Berlin Christmas markets and popular among tourists. #Berlin pic.twitter.com/JrMQuvamBSThis is the Breitscheidplatz a week ago. It's one of the most beautiful Berlin Christmas markets and popular among tourists. #Berlin pic.twitter.com/JrMQuvamBS
9.38pm GMT
21:38
The Berlin state interior minister has just noted that the reasons for a truck ramming into a Christmas market and killing nine people is still unclear and it is not known if it was an accident or a deliberate attack.
The Berlin Police have also been tweeting that the background is still unknown and to “not spread rumors.”
In contrast, Facebook is allowing users to check in as safe on a page called “The Attack in Berlin, Germany,” although it’s not yet certain it was an attack.
9.32pm GMT
21:32
Germany’s Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted his condolences, and noted that the federal prosecutor will be responsible for the investigation:
“Shocking news from #Breitscheidplatz. We mourn with the families [of the victims]. The federal prosecutor is taking over the case.”
Schockierende Nachrichten vom #Breitscheidplatz. Wir trauern mit den Angehörigen. Der Generalbundesanwalt übernimmt den Fall.
9.22pm GMT
21:22
Julian Borger
This from our World Affairs editor Julian Borger:
The attack was reminiscent of the massacre in Nice in July, where a Tunisian-born French resident, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, drove a 19-tonne truck down the city’s Promenade des Anglais into a crowd that had gathered for a Bastille Day firework display, killing 86 and injuring hundreds.
French authorities said that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, had been inspired by Isis propaganda, but they say no evidence has been found that Isis orchestrated the attack.
9.18pm GMT
21:18
Berlin police say the passenger in the truck, previously described as a “co-driver,” was the one who died.
Nothing is known about their identity.
The passenger of the truck, who drove to the Christmas market at #Breitscheidplatz, died on the spot.
9.16pm GMT
21:16
Stefanie Bolzen, the London correspondent for German publication WELT, points out that Marcus Pretzell, a German politician and member of the European Parliament, has called those who died at the Berlin Christmas market “Merkel’s dead.”
Pretzell is the regional head of AfD, Alternative for Germany, the hard right-wing party that is anti-immigration.
Only minutes after alleged attack: MEP and regional head of AfD Marcus Pretzell calls victims at #Berlin #Breitscheidplatz "Merkel's dead" https://t.co/V3MEnzyabY
9.13pm GMT
21:13
Berlin police have begun tweeting in English, noting that the “background” of the Christmas market incident is still unclear. Police also highlight that it is unknown if the person arrested was a driver of the truck.
Police note that the LKA, short for Landeskriminalamt, the state criminal police office, is investigating the incident and that there are “no indications of future dangerous situations” in the city.
The background is still unclear. Our #LKA takes the investigations. #Breitscheidplatz
A suspicious person was arrested near #Breitscheidplatz. Whether it is the driver of the truck, is currently under consideration.
Currently, there are no indications of further dangerous situations in the city near #Breitscheidplatz.
9.11pm GMT
21:11
Fran Lawther
The lorry belongs to a Polish haulage company and is registered in Gdansk, according to local media reports. The owner of the company, named only as Ariel Z, gave an interview to Polish radio TVN24 on Monday evening, saying his cousin had been travelling to Berlin in the lorry. He wanted to spend the night in the city, Ariel said, adding he could not imagine his cousin causing the crash as he had had 15 years’ experience driving lorries.
9.10pm GMT
21:10
Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly notes that off-duty doctors across Berlin are being brought in to tend to the many injured.
9.06pm GMT
21:06
Fran Lawther
The German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, told reporters:
My thoughts are with the relatives of the victims and those injured in this terrible incident. I am in constant contact with the security forces in Berlin and have offered them every possible assistance from the federal police.
9.03pm GMT
21:03
Kate Connolly
This in from Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly
Police have said the juggernaut which crashed into the Xmas market had Polish number plates and belonged to a Polish delivery company. The company said the truck left Poland this afternoon heading to Berlin and that they lost touch with the driver at 4pm local time. It would appear that the lorry might have been hijacked.