A vehicle drove through busy shopping street in central Leipzig, killing and injuring several people, according to local media
At least two people have been killed and several others injured after a car drove into a crowd in the eastern German city of Leipzig, local media reported on Monday.
The incident reportedly took place on Grimmaische Strasse, a central shopping street linking key landmarks with the city’s market square.
Local broadcaster Radio Leipzig reported that a damaged Volkswagen SUV was seen speeding through a pedestrian zone, with a person on top of the vehicle.
Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung confirmed the preliminary death toll, telling reporters that the surrounding area had been secured.
According to Deutsche Welle, citing police in the state of Saxony, the driver has been detained.
It was initially unclear whether the incident was deliberate or an accident, Berliner Zeitung reported, adding that an investigation is ongoing.
The authorities have not revealed the driver’s identity. However, Germany has seen multiple deadly vehicular attacks in recent years involving foreign-born individuals.
Last year, an Afghan national plowed through a rally in Munich leaving dozens of people injured. A two-year-old girl and her mother later died in a hospital from injuries they suffered.
In December 2024, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others.
In 2016, a rejected Tunisian asylum seeker drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens.
The attacks have intensified debate in Germany over migration and public security. Right-wing parties such as Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been pressing the government to shift migration policy, portraying migrants, particularly those from outside Europe, as a burden on public services and a driver of crime and social strife.
