Berlin police believe the truck that killed 12 people was a ‘probable terror attack’

Paul Moore

The latest news from a horrific night in the German city.

Berlin police believe that the driver who rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in the heart of the German capital, killing at least 12 people and injuring 48, did so intentionally and that they are investigating a suspected “terror attack.”

The truck drove through the popular Christmas market outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church late Monday.

“Our investigators are working on the assumption that the truck was intentionally driven into the crowd at the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz. All police measures concerning the suspected terror attack at Breitscheidplatz are being taken with great speed and the necessary care,” they said.

Unsere Ermittler gehen davon aus, dass der LKW vorsätzlich in die Menschenmenge auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt am #Breitscheidplatz gesteuert wurde

— Polizei Berlin Einsatz (@PolizeiBerlin_E) December 20, 2016

According to Reuters, police said that the passenger found dead in the truck was a Polish citizen but added that he was not in control of the vehicle. The nationality of the suspected driver, who fled the crash scene and was later arrested, has not been identified , they said.

There have been conflicting reports regarding the truck that was stolen and used during the massacre. Police tweeted that they were investigating reports that it had been stolen from a construction site in Poland but the boss of the firm told Reuters that: “I can vouch for my driver. I see it that they did something to him and hijacked his truck that was practically in Berlin centre… It was not my driver. They simply did something to him, God forbid, so it looks”.

As of yet, no details have yet been released about the identities of the 12 people that were killed in the tragedy. A police press conference is to take place at 1pm local time where more details will be given.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan is urging Irish citizens in the city to contact their families and id you’re worried about any Irish citizens in Berlin, please call the Department of Foreign Affairs on +353-1-408-2000.