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Car drives into carnival crowd in German town | Car drives into carnival crowd in German town |
(32 minutes later) | |
A car has been driven into a crowd at a carnival parade in the western German town of Volkmarsen. | A car has been driven into a crowd at a carnival parade in the western German town of Volkmarsen. |
The driver has been detained. Officers reportedly told local media they think it was a deliberate act, though a motive remains unclear. | |
Police said several people had been wounded, some seriously, with children among them. There is no official confirmation on the casualty numbers. | |
German newspaper Bild however reports that there were more than 30 injured. | |
A silver Mercedes reportedly drove through plastic barricades set up for the parade and into a group of people at about 14:30 local time (13:30 GMT). | |
Eyewitnesses quoted in the German media say the driver accelerated toward the crowd and appeared to target children. | Eyewitnesses quoted in the German media say the driver accelerated toward the crowd and appeared to target children. |
Reports say the driver was a 29-year-old German citizen. | |
Images on social media show a car matching the description surrounded by emergency vehicles. | |
Police have set up a portal for people to submit pictures or videos of the incident. They urged people not to speculate about a motive. | |
The incident took place during celebrations for Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday - a carnival day celebrated in some parts of Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. | |
Schools are often closed on the day, although it is not a national holiday in Germany. Authorities in the state of Hesse, where Volkmarsen is located, have cancelled all carnival parades "as a precaution", police tweeted. | |
Are you in the area? Did you witness the incident? If it is safe to do so email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the area? Did you witness the incident? If it is safe to do so email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |