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| Berlin lorry attack: What we know | Berlin lorry attack: What we know |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A lorry smashed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48, with many of them in a critical condition. | A lorry smashed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48, with many of them in a critical condition. |
| German police are treating it as a terror attack. It has already been compared with the July lorry attack in Nice, southern France, which killed 86 people. | German police are treating it as a terror attack. It has already been compared with the July lorry attack in Nice, southern France, which killed 86 people. |
| A suspect, reported to be a 23-year-old Pakistani man, was arrested on Monday night. Security sources said he was an asylum seeker who arrived in Germany last December. | A suspect, reported to be a 23-year-old Pakistani man, was arrested on Monday night. Security sources said he was an asylum seeker who arrived in Germany last December. |
| What happened? | What happened? |
| At 20:14 local time (19:14 GMT) the lorry, laden with steel beams, crashed into people gathered around wooden huts and stands selling mulled wine and sausages. | At 20:14 local time (19:14 GMT) the lorry, laden with steel beams, crashed into people gathered around wooden huts and stands selling mulled wine and sausages. |
| The market was packed with tourists and locals, at Breitscheidplatz, near Berlin's famous Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was damaged in a World War Two bombing raid. | The market was packed with tourists and locals, at Breitscheidplatz, near Berlin's famous Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was damaged in a World War Two bombing raid. |
| The lorry, registered in Poland, drove 50-80 metres (160-260 ft) through the market. | The lorry, registered in Poland, drove 50-80 metres (160-260 ft) through the market. |
| Witnesses reckoned its speed to be about 64km/h (40mph), as it sent market stalls flying, leaving a trail of debris and casualties. | Witnesses reckoned its speed to be about 64km/h (40mph), as it sent market stalls flying, leaving a trail of debris and casualties. |
| Australian Trisha O'Neill said she witnessed "blood and bodies everywhere". | Australian Trisha O'Neill said she witnessed "blood and bodies everywhere". |
| "I just saw this huge black truck speeding through the markets crushing so many people and then all the lights went out and everything was destroyed. I could hear screaming and then we all froze. | "I just saw this huge black truck speeding through the markets crushing so many people and then all the lights went out and everything was destroyed. I could hear screaming and then we all froze. |
| "Then suddenly people started to move and lift all the wreckage off people, trying to help whoever was there." | "Then suddenly people started to move and lift all the wreckage off people, trying to help whoever was there." |
| After the lorry stopped, the suspected driver fled into the darkness of the Tiergarten park. He was pursued for more than a mile (2km) by a witness, who called the police. They soon detained the suspect near the park's Victory Column monument. | |
| The daily Tagesspiegel said the man was known to police for minor crimes, but not terror links. He has denied any involvement in the market attack, security sources say. | |
| Where did the lorry come from? | Where did the lorry come from? |
| The Polish owner, Ariel Zurawski, said he had been unable to contact his driver since about 16:00 on Monday. | The Polish owner, Ariel Zurawski, said he had been unable to contact his driver since about 16:00 on Monday. |
| The consignment of steel beams came from Italy, reports say. | The consignment of steel beams came from Italy, reports say. |
| A Polish citizen was found dead in the passenger seat - and police do not think that he drove the lorry into the crowd. He is believed to have been the registered driver. | A Polish citizen was found dead in the passenger seat - and police do not think that he drove the lorry into the crowd. He is believed to have been the registered driver. |
| Mr Zurawski told a Polish TV channel that "he's my cousin" - and insisted that "my driver simply could not have done this... something must have happened to him". | Mr Zurawski told a Polish TV channel that "he's my cousin" - and insisted that "my driver simply could not have done this... something must have happened to him". |
| The German news website Focus said analysis of the lorry's GPS data showed that its engine had been started several times on Monday afternoon. Finally at 19:34 the lorry had set off. | The German news website Focus said analysis of the lorry's GPS data showed that its engine had been started several times on Monday afternoon. Finally at 19:34 the lorry had set off. |
| A man at the Polish haulage firm, Lukasz Wasik, said the lorry was supposed to have been kept stationary, as its cargo was to be unloaded on Tuesday. | A man at the Polish haulage firm, Lukasz Wasik, said the lorry was supposed to have been kept stationary, as its cargo was to be unloaded on Tuesday. |
| Live: Latest updates | Live: Latest updates |
| Berlin witnesses describe devastation | Berlin witnesses describe devastation |
| A year of terror in Germany | A year of terror in Germany |
| How have the authorities reacted? | How have the authorities reacted? |
| For several hours they avoided branding it a terror attack, but later Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said "there are many things pointing to one". | For several hours they avoided branding it a terror attack, but later Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said "there are many things pointing to one". |
| German President Joachim Gauck expressed condolences for the victims, saying "this is an awful evening for Berlin and our country". | German President Joachim Gauck expressed condolences for the victims, saying "this is an awful evening for Berlin and our country". |
| On Tuesday there were reports that German special forces had begun searching a hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof airport. | On Tuesday there were reports that German special forces had begun searching a hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof airport. |
| The airport, which was build by the Nazis in the 1930s, has recently become home to nearly 2,000 migrants. | The airport, which was build by the Nazis in the 1930s, has recently become home to nearly 2,000 migrants. |
| Forensic experts are gathering evidence at the Christmas market place. | Forensic experts are gathering evidence at the Christmas market place. |
| In a TV address to the nation on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said "we have to consider this a terrorist attack". | In a TV address to the nation on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said "we have to consider this a terrorist attack". |
| Referring to the suspicions that an asylum seeker was responsible, she said "it would be particularly sickening for the many Germans who daily work to help refugees". | |
| Despite security fears, Germans do not want to stop Christmas markets and public festivities, she said. | |
| Are there Islamist links, as in the Nice or Paris atrocities? | Are there Islamist links, as in the Nice or Paris atrocities? |
| There is no such evidence yet. | There is no such evidence yet. |
| The Nice beachfront attack, carried out by a Tunisian-born man, was claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS). | The Nice beachfront attack, carried out by a Tunisian-born man, was claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS). |
| The jihadist group - currently being attacked by Western and Russian warplanes in Iraq and Syria - has urged its supporters to use vehicles to attack Westerners. | The jihadist group - currently being attacked by Western and Russian warplanes in Iraq and Syria - has urged its supporters to use vehicles to attack Westerners. |
| Germany was shocked by four terror attacks in the summer, two of which - by asylum seekers - were claimed by IS. | Germany was shocked by four terror attacks in the summer, two of which - by asylum seekers - were claimed by IS. |
| Alternative for Germany (AfD), an increasingly popular anti-immigrant party, warned that Mrs Merkel's "open-door" policy towards refugees in 2014-2015 posed a big security risk. | Alternative for Germany (AfD), an increasingly popular anti-immigrant party, warned that Mrs Merkel's "open-door" policy towards refugees in 2014-2015 posed a big security risk. |