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Car drives into carnival crowd in German town Volkmarsen | |
(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. |
Police said about 30 people, including children, were injured, some seriously. | |
A 29-year-old German citizen was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide. Officials said a motive was currently unclear. | |
Authorities in the state of Hesse, where Volkmarsen is located, cancelled all carnival parades "as a precaution" following the incident. | |
What happened in Volkmarsen? | What happened in Volkmarsen? |
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 for the day, although it is not a national holiday in Germany. | |
Local media report that a silver Mercedes drove through plastic barricades set up for the parade and into a group of people. Police said the incident occurred at about 14:45 local time (13:45 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. |
German news website HNA cited witnesses as saying a man drove "at full throttle" into the crowd. | |
Images on social media show a car matching the description surrounded by emergency vehicles. | Images on social media show a car matching the description surrounded by emergency vehicles. |
Police said they believed it was an attack but that there was no indication of a political motive, according to German newspaper Bild. | |
In a statement, the Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt said the suspect was receiving medical treatment but would later be brought before an investigating judge. | |
What has the reaction been? | |
Police have set up a portal for people to submit pictures or videos of the incident. They have also created an information centre for anyone affected at the town hall. | |
Hesse state leader Volker Bouffier said he was "shocked" by the incident, which had left "many innocent people seriously injured". | |
In a statement, he shared his condolences with the victims and their families, while urging people not to speculate about possible motives. | |
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 |