A car drove into a crowd of hundreds of thousands at an LGBTQ+ event in Berlin, Germany, on the 25th, local time, leaving at least one person dead and 16 others injured, according to foreign media outlets including dpa and AFP.

According to Berlin police, a white van entered the Christopher Street Day (CSD) event venue at Tiergarten Park at around 10 p.m. that night, struck multiple people, and then crashed into a tree.

The suspect fled the scene on foot after abandoning the vehicle.

Police found a vehicle believed to have been used in the incident a few hundred meters away from the event venue.

Among the 16 injured, 11 were transported to hospitals.

Three of them are in critical condition, and the remaining eight sustained serious injuries.

The other five injured people were identified as having minor injuries.

Berlin police identified a 21-year-old man named Abdul B. as the suspect, releasing his photo, personal information, and physical description while placing him on the wanted list.

According to police, the suspect is tall at around 190 cm, thin, and was wearing a black hoodie and white pants.

The suspect's specific motive and the exact circumstances of the incident have not yet been determined.

Police warned that the suspect may be armed and advised people to avoid direct contact.

Police are also investigating whether anyone got out of the vehicle that plowed into the crowd to carry out a secondary attack, including a knife assault.

It appears that more than one person got out of the car immediately after the crash, and there are circumstances suggesting that several people in addition to those hit by the car suffered stab wounds.

Earlier, police spokesperson Florian Nath stated that the suspect's identity had been identified by authorities but he had not yet been arrested, and that he is suspected of having ties to Islamic extremist groups.

Nath stated, "Witnesses reported that there were people lying on the ground with stab wounds."

With witness statements also conflicting as to whether it was a lone-wolf attack or involved multiple perpetrators, police are investigating with an open mind to all possibilities.


Following the accident, police and organizers completely canceled the event for safety reasons.

Police urged participants to immediately leave the venue and head home, and completely cordoned off the area where the casualties occurred.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the incident, stating, "This is an attack on our free and open society," and adding, "A gathering assembled for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was brutally attacked," while offering comfort to the victims and their families.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to sternly punish the perpetrators.

In a statement, he said, "We will strongly push to ensure that this horrific act is thoroughly investigated and punished."

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the Berlin CSD event, one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ festivals.

Before the accident occurred, participants had been peacefully enjoying the festival by marching through the city center and dancing to music, AP reported.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)