Car drives into crowd in centre of German city of Mannheim, local media reports – as police operation under way
A car has driven into a group of pedestrians in the western German city of Mannheim, according to local media reports – with a large police operation under way.
A witness told Reuters several people were seen lying on the ground after a car drove into a crowd and said two people were being resuscitated.
People seen ‘lying on ground’; Germany latest
A police statement said: “Currently, a police operation is taking place in the city center of Mannheim, in the area of Wasserturm/Plankenkopf.
“Police and rescuers are on the way. Further information is not yet available. In this context, there may be temporary traffic disruptions in the inner city.”
Officers would not disclose what prompted the large police operation in the city centre.
Crowds have been gathering in cities across regions including Germany’s Rhineland for parades to mark the carnival season.
Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm told n-tv television that an “incident” occurred at around 12.15pm in the Paradeplatz area of downtown Mannheim that triggered a large police deployment.
He said the incident had been reported as “a life-threatening deployment situation”.
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