Berlin, Oct 28:
At least five people were injured after a BMW was deliberately driven into a group of people in Neustadt am Rübenberge, near Hanover in northern Germany, late on Monday night.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm on October 26 on Mecklenhorster Street. The injured suffered varying degrees of injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. None was reported to be in a life-threatening condition.
A police patrol conducting a routine traffic check nearby witnessed the incident and intervened. Officers fired shots at the BMW in an attempt to stop it, but the driver and possibly other occupants fled on foot, abandoning the vehicle at the scene.
Police launched a search operation involving numerous officers, a helicopter and a police dog. Three people were later provisionally detained at the registered address of the vehicle’s owner, although their alleged involvement in the incident remained under investigation.
Initial findings suggested that the people involved knew one another and that the group may have been deliberately targeted. Police said there was no indication of a terrorist attack, while the motive and exact circumstances remained unclear.
Authorities have launched an investigation into suspected attempted homicide and appealed to witnesses to provide information. The search for those directly responsible was continuing.