In a disturbing incident on Monday, a vehicle reportedly drove into a crowd of pedestrians in Mannheim, leaving several injured and potentially claiming at least one life, according to eyewitnesses and local media reports.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos on Planken, the city’s main shopping street, where a black SUV reportedly struck a group of people during a busy period marked by carnival festivities. Emergency responders were seen assisting casualties, with some reports indicating that two individuals were receiving immediate aid while at least one fatality was suggested by local outlet Mannheimer Morgen. However, authorities have yet to confirm any deaths.

Heavily armed police officers have been deployed in Mannheim’s central square, Paradeplatz, and bridges near neighboring Ludwigshafen have been closed to traffic as security measures intensify. A spokesperson for Mannheim police stated, “There is currently a police operation in Mannheim city center, in the area around Wasserturm/Plankenkopf. Police and rescue services are on their way.”

The incident unfolded during a bustling carnival season, with a vibrant market in the city center featuring 60 food stalls and rides. One stall holder was quoted by local media as saying, “It is terrible here, nobody knows what happened, you only see injured people and the dead, and you don’t know what to do.”

In response to the unfolding situation, the interior ministry of Baden-Württemberg has issued a warning via a mobile app, advising residents to avoid the city center as authorities work to secure the area. The incident comes just weeks after a similar car attack in Munich, which resulted in the deaths of a 37-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter and led to the arrest of an Afghan asylum seeker suspected of the attack.

Police investigations are ongoing, and further details are awaited as authorities continue to assess the situation in Mannheim.

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