Starmer condemns ‘atrocious attack’ on German Christmas market
At least two people have died after a car was driven through an outdoor Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “horrified” by the “atrocious attack” in the German city of Magdeburg.
Two people have died and at least 60 others have been injured, after a man drove a car through an outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city.
“I am horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg tonight,” the Prime Minister said.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected.
“We stand with the people of Germany.”
The Government is in contact with German authorities, the Foreign Office said, and is closely monitoring the situation.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “appalled by the news from Magdeburg” and offered support to his German counterpart.
The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary were among the leaders of Germany’s nearest neighbours who shared their support.
French president Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity.”
One of the two people who died in the attack was confirmed to be a young child.
The car was driven through the busy Christmas market at around 7pm.
The driver was arrested and is not known to German authorities as an Islamic extremist, according to German news agency dpa, which cited security officials.
The suspect is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who first came to Germany in 2006, according to Tamara Zieschang, the interior minister of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Of the at least 60 people injured, some 15 were hurt very seriously, according to government officials and the city government’s website.
More than 30 people had injuries of medium severity and 16 were lightly injured.
Magdeburg is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt to the west of Berlin and has about 240,000 residents.
The suspected attack comes eight years after an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
On December 19 2016, an Islamic extremist drove through a crowded market with a truck, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.
The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.
Other UK politicians joined the Prime Minister in condemning the incident.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “The perpetrator, and anyone supporting them, must feel the full force of the law
“Anyone supporting or sympathising with this kind of atrocity has no place in a civilised society here.”
Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, described the incident as “yet another terrible warning”, as he sought to promote his tough approach to migration.
The shadow justice secretary, who failed to win the Tory leadership contest against Kemi Badenoch, added: “The public deserve politicians who will implement the policies necessary so they can attend Christmas markets in safety.”
