Multiple People Dead After Truck Plows Through Berlin Christmas Market; 50+ Injured

J.D. DurkinDec 19th, 2016, 2:40 pm
 

News reports out of Germany are indicating that a truck drove through a crowded market of people doing Christmas shopping Monday night in the marketplace on the Kurfürstendamm, a popular tourist destination Berlin. Police have indicated at this hour that in addition to the two confirmed deaths, there are at least 50 injuries from the incident; it is currently being investigated an an intentional act.

Emma Rushton is an eyewitness to the accident visiting from England who immediately took to Twitter to offer updates, noting “there is no road nearby,” where the incident took place. She said that it occurred at the Kurfürstendamm market.

The Daily Mail is reporting that two people have been confirmed dead in the incident, noting, “There are fears terrorists have launched an attack in Berlin.”

Rushton indicated on social media that the truck, “was going too fast through people. Loud bang as it hit stalls.” She continued that it, “was going 40 mph and it wasn’t near a road and no attempt to break.” She spoke with CNN International moments ago, saying “We wanted to get out of there as soon as possible,” after seeing the track crash directly into the Christmas market.

“It didn’t look, it didn’t feel like an accident,” Rushton recounted to CNN.

UPDATE: 2:57 p.m. EST: German media has reported that local law enforcement looking into the crash say that “first indications” suggest it wan an intentional attack.

Various reports have corroborated initial fears that the number of casualties would increase.

Some reports are suggesting that the truck driver got out of the vehicle and has not been taken into custody yet by German authorities.

UPDATE – 3:43 p.m. ET: Police on the scene are treating the incident as a mass-casualty attack. Various media sources are saying that German police have found and arrested the truck driver.

Some outlets are reporting that there was another person inside the truck when it collided with the market. Fox News reports that this second suspect also escaped, but was said to have been shot and killed.

CNN’s Berlin correspondent has been in contact with authorities on the scene, who believe the attack to be “terror-related.”

This news is developing and we are updating as more information becomes available.

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