Injuries climb to 28 in Munich car attack, Scholz calls for expulsion of suspect PHOTO/VIDEO/UPDATED

The number of people injured in the car ramming incident during a trade union demonstration in central Munich has risen to 28, according to the city’s police press service.

Authorities have identified the suspect as a 24-year-old Afghan citizen. During his arrest, law enforcement officers opened fire on the vehicle, Caliber.Az reports citing international media.

اللقطات الأولى من موقع الحادث.. إصابة 20 شخصا على الأقل بحادث دهس في ميونخ بألمانيا#ميونخ #ألمانيا #العربية pic.twitter.com/YNDgTr2EV9

— العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) February 13, 2025

At a press conference, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder suggested that the act was likely deliberate. "It is probably an attack," Söder stated.

Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Hermann revealed that the suspect was already known to police for previous offences, including drug law violations and shoplifting. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the suspect to be punished and expelled from the country. Scholz stated that the attacker "should not count on any favour" and urged authorities to use the full extent of the justice system if the incident is confirmed as a terrorist attack.

A police spokesperson detailed the sequence of events, explaining that the suspect initially followed a group of demonstrators and a police car before overtaking them, accelerating, and then crashing into the crowd.

German authorities continue their investigation into the motive behind the attack.

16:47

A 26-year-old Afghan man was behind the wheel of a car that struck a group of demonstrators in Munich.

According to German newspaper Bild, law enforcement agencies have arrested the suspect, though further details regarding his identity and the circumstances of the incident remain unclear, per Caliber.Az.

It is not yet known whether the collision was intentional or accidental, and police are investigating the cause.

Two individuals were seriously injured in the incident, including a child who is reported to be in critical condition.

14:51

A car drove into a crowd of protesting public sector workers in central Munich, injuring around 15 people.

Munich police reported the incident on X, stating that the driver was apprehended at the scene and is no longer a threat, Caliber.Az reports via German media.

The crash occurred at Stieglmeierplatz in the city centre. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the driver intentionally drove into the crowd.

Two individuals later reported that the police fired at two men involved in the incident, with one man reportedly shot dead. A Mini Cooper was identified as the vehicle involved, according to Bild.

The injured individuals were part of a Ver.di trade union rally. Ver.di members, who are public sector workers, had gathered to protest and demand wage increases of at least €350 per month. The strike has caused widespread disruption, with many public institutions, including municipal hospitals, not operating. Of the approximately 450 municipal kindergartens, 253 are fully closed, and 33 are operating with limited services.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in Magdeburg on December 20 of last year, where a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market, resulting in six deaths and around 300 injuries. The perpetrator, a man born in 1974 in Saudi Arabia, was detained on the same day, and German authorities labelled the incident as a terrorist attack.

By Tamilla Hasanova