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| Car drives into carnival crowd in German town Volkmarsen | Car drives into carnival crowd in German town Volkmarsen |
| (about 2 hours 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. |
| Thirty people, a third of them 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. | 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. | 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. | 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). | 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. | German news website HNA cited witnesses as saying a man drove "at full throttle" into the crowd. |
| Police said they believed it was an attack but that there was no indication of a political motive, according to German newspaper Bild. | 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 for injuries sustained in the incident but would later be brought before an investigating judge. | |
| Steffen Roettger said his two daughters were at the parade and called him after the incident happened. "My 10-year-old was pulled aside and only narrowly avoided being hit," he told broadcaster NTV. | |
| He said his daughter was "in shock" after seeing people "lying around everywhere". | |
| "She won't get those images out of her head in a hurry." | |
| What has the reaction been? | 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. | 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 at the terrible act", 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. | In a statement, he shared his condolences with the victims and their families, while urging people not to speculate about possible motives. |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked police and medics for their response, and said her thoughts were with those injured and their relatives. | |