Berlin Truck Attack Live Updates: Deaths Reported As Terrorism Suspected At Christmas Market

UPDATED: 6:25 p.m. EST — President-elect Donald Trump tweeted the “civilized world must change [its] thinking” when it comes to terrorism.

UPDATED: 5:51 p.m. EST — The suspected driver of a truck that drove into a crowd of people in Berlin Monday night was a Pakistani national, according to local news outlet FOCUS Online. The website referenced "a report" for the basis of its claim but offered no tangible proof to back up its assertion.

UPDATED: 5:40 p.m. EST — The White House issued a statement condemning what it said "appears to have been a terrorist attack on a Christmas Market in Berlin." National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said U.S. officials had been in contact with German officials and offered assistance.

UPDATED: 5:05 p.m. EST – The Department of State was warning U.S. citizens in Berlin to avoid the area where a truck plowed into a crowd of holiday revelers at a Christmas marketplace on Monday night. Local law enforcement made the same plea to civilians in the area.

World leaders joined Germany in mourning the lives of those lost in and affected by the truck crash, which killed at least nine people and injured dozens more. "I express my solidarity and compassion to Chancellor Merkel, the German people and to the families of the victims of Berlin," French president François Hollande said in a tweet.

The suspected driver of the truck has been apprehended and arrested. The resulting legal case will fall under the purview of a federal prosecutor, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas tweeted.

The truck used in the apparent attack was registered to a Polish hauling company, the Guardian reported.

UPDATED: 4:28 p.m. EST – A passenger in the truck that plowed into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin has died, according to local police. The European Commissioner expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the people who dies and were injured. "My thoughts are with the victims," Donald Tusk tweeted. "Europe is ready to help."

At least nine people were killed and about 50 people were injured in what is being investigated as a potential terror attack.

UPDATED: 3:47 p.m. EST – Police in Berlin have asked everybody in the city to stay indoors while law enforcement conducts its investigation into the deadly truck crash that killed at least 9 people after plowing into a crowd of people Monday night local time. The truck was traveling at about 40 mph when it drove right into a group of holiday revelers at a popular Christmas Market in Germany's capital city.

While the suspected driver has been arrested, neither the motive nor the identity were immediately released by authorities. The possibility of terrorism was not immediately ruled out.

UPDATED: 3:33 p.m. EST – The suspected driver of the truck that killed multiple people after plowing into a public crowd in Germany has been arrested, according to a new report from a local journalist. The suspect, whose identity was not immediately revealed, was arrested in Berlin near Tiergarten at the Victory Column.

Meanwhile, Facebook activated its safety check in Berlin for the social media network's users in the city to indicate whether they were in harm's way.

UPDATED: 3:22 p.m. EST – At least nine people were killed and at least 50 injured after a truck ran through a crowded Berlin Christmas market Monday night local time. Local authorities feared it may have been a terrorist attack similar to the one that struck Nice, France, in July.

The driver of the truck was at large, Reuters reported. The “first indications” on the scene were that it was a deliberate attack. However, that theory was not immediately confirmed.

The driver’s identity or a possible motive for the incident was also immediately unknown.

Original story:

Multiple people were killed and others injured after a truck plowed into a crowded Christmas market in the capital city of Germany on Monday night local time, according to reports.

German police told Reuters that at least one person was confirmed dead in Berlin and other reports say “multiple others” had been injured. An exact number of victims was not immediately available.

Local police also described the episode as a “severe incident” while speaking to CNN. The report said the truck struck near Breitscheidplatz Square, located in West Berlin.

As updates roll in, many were taking to Twitter to post videos of the incident. Videos show a black semi-truck wrapped around a light pole with emergency services personnel surrounding it.

Others show the wreckage in the truck’s wake, with boxes strewn about.

Some reports have suggested it was an act of terror, while others say it wasn’t.

The identity of the driver or if he or she had any malicious movies was not immediately announced.

Details were scarce, but the incident has brought about fears of a terrorist attack similar to the one that occurred in Nice, France, that killed 86 people on July 14 in the quiet coastal city.