A car plowed into a sexual minority event in Berlin, Germany, that drew hundreds of thousands of people, killing at least 1 and injuring 14.
According to German police on the 26th (local time), at about 10 p.m. a white van entered Berlin's Tiergarten park near the route where Christopher Street Day (CSD) participants had marched, hit several people, and then crashed into a tree.
Local media said some of the injured are in critical condition. The injured are receiving treatment from emergency responders dispatched to the scene.
The exact motive or the suspect's identity has not yet been confirmed, and police appear to be tracking the suspect.
Police Spokesperson Florian Nath said in a video posted on the Berlin police X (formerly Twitter) account that they are "conducting an intensive search to find key suspects."
The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled. Police told AFP that a vehicle believed to be involved in the incident was found abandoned.
After the crash, police and organizers canceled the event entirely for safety reasons. Police urged participants to leave the venue immediately and go home, and they fully restricted the area where casualties occurred.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the incident as "an attack on our free and open society," adding that "a gathering for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was brutally attacked," and offered comfort to the victims and their families.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to severely punish the perpetrators. In a statement, he said, "We will push strongly to ensure this horrific act is thoroughly investigated and punished."
The Berlin CSD event, one of Europe's largest sexual minority festivals, drew hundreds of thousands of people that day. Before the incident, participants had been marching through the city center and dancing to music, peacefully enjoying the festival, AP reported.