A driver rammed a white van into a crowd of pedestrians during a Pride event in central Berlin on Saturday night, killing one woman and injuring at least 16 others, German officials confirmed, according to Reuters and BBC News. The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. local time in Tiergarten park near the iconic Brandenburg Gate, where tens of thousands of people had gathered. Police reported that the vehicle swerved off the main road onto a pedestrian path, striking multiple people before coming to a stop against a tree, after which the driver fled the scene on foot.
Emergency services confirmed that a woman died at the scene despite immediate resuscitation efforts by first responders. Among the 16 injured individuals, three suffered life-threatening injuries and eight sustained severe trauma, requiring urgent transportation to nearby hospitals. Firefighters set up a temporary helicopter landing zone near the Reichstag parliament building to expedite medical evacuations. Additionally, emergency psychological support teams treated approximately 30 bystanders for severe shock. Investigators are also examining reports that several victims may have sustained knife wounds during the incident, though police noted that the exact sequence of events remains under investigation.
German authorities have launched a citywide manhunt for a 21-year-old suspect identified as Abdul B, releasing his photograph and issuing a public wanted notice. Police spokesperson Florian Nath stated that the suspect is known to law enforcement as an individual affiliated with radical Islamist circles in Berlin. Authorities warned members of the public to avoid direct contact with the fugitive, noting that he may be armed and dangerous. What remains unclear is whether the suspect acted entirely alone or received assistance from accomplices before or after the ramming.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly condemned the attack, describing it as an abhorrent assault on free society and promising that federal authorities would ensure those responsible are fully investigated and punished. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner echoed those sentiments, declaring that the city`s open and cosmopolitan values had been targeted in the most brutal manner. Following the incident, organizers immediately canceled the closing rally and concert, while police urged crowds to evacuate the area surrounding the Brandenburg Gate.
Security forces have sealed off the Tiergarten park and surrounding thoroughfares as forensic experts collect evidence from the abandoned vehicle and the crash site. Police have established a dedicated telephone hotline for families seeking information about loved ones and urged witnesses to submit any recorded video footage or photographs to assist the ongoing investigation.
