Two people were killed and several were injured when a car drove into a crowd of people in the western German city of Mannheim, a police spokesperson said on Monday.
The car’s driver has been detained, but it is unclear whether there are other suspects, the spokesperson added.
The incident occurred as crowds gathered in cities across western Germany’s Rhineland for parades to mark the carnival season.
A black SUV drove at high speed into a group of people travelling from the centrally located Paradeplatz square towards the city’s landmark water tower, local media reported.
Security has been a key concern in Germany following a string of violent attacks in recent weeks, including deadly car rammings in Magdeburg in December and in Munich last month, as well as a stabbing in Mannheim in May 2024.
Police are on high alert for this year’s carnival parades after social media accounts connected to the Islamic State group called for attacks on the events in Cologne and Nuremberg.
Mannheim’s mayor has described the incident as “abhorrent and inhumane” in a statement posted on the city government’s website.
“Our thoughts are with the dead and injured, their families and friends,” Mayor Christian Specht says.
Carnival events planned for tomorrow in the nearby suburbs of Feudenheim, Neckarau and Sandhofen have been cancelled.
A market has been closed and a street carnival in the city centre will not take place, according to the statement.
As a reminder, outdoor carnivals linked to Easter celebrations are held across Germany at this time of year.
