German police are overseeing a ‘major operation’ following a ‘mass casualty incident’ in which a vehicle ploughed into the crowd at an LGBTQ+ event.
At around 10pm, a van drove into crowds ‘at high speed’ before a suspect ‘fled on foot’ and a helicopter was deployed to illuminate the site and search for the individual.
The annual Berlin Pride celebration, Christopher Street Day, has now been cancelled, with authorities urging people to avoid the area and instructing those in attendance to ‘evacuate’.
More than 40 emergency services personnel swarmed the scene to treat the injured at Tiergarten Park, close to the Brandenburg Gate.
At the time of writing, one person who was in a critical condition has died. 15 people have been injured, and some have life-threatening injuries.
Police shared in an initial social media statement: ‘We believe that a vehicle entered the Tiergarten Park and hit several people and injured them.
‘We are searching intensively for suspects.’
They later apprehended one suspect.
Images show police, paramedics, and Berlin Fire Department rescue crews inside the park, with a person being carried into an ambulance on a stretcher.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Germany’s capital for the peaceful occasion, which also takes place in Switzerland.
It is one of Europe’s largest Pride events and is held in memory of the Stonewall riots, which marked the first major uprising of LGBTQ+ people against police assaults at the Stonewall Inn bar.
Over 150 cities in Germany hold annual CSD events, including Hamburg and Cologne.
Today’s event began this afternoon with a parade in the city before making its way to the park for the evening.
Police have not confirmed whether the Pride event had been deliberately targeted.
According to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, a Michael Jackson show was underway when the event’s immediate cancellation was announced.
A member of the CSD board took to the stage and told the audience: ‘Unfortunately, we have to end the event prematurely due to a difficult situation.’
Then, on social media, a message was shared by organisers, reading: ‘Please leave the premises calmly and in an orderly manner. Please avoid the Victory Column and the Tiergarten. Leave the premises in the direction of the main train station.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.