Germany, April 7: A car in Germany ran into the crowd in Germany and killed several people and injured other seriously. According to police, a minibus ploughed into the crowds and the driver's intention was to kill people. The driver later shot himself dead after causing harm to the masses said the report.  The incident, which took place near the Kiepenkerl statue in the city’s old town district has injured around 30 people said reports. "There are deaths and injured. Please avoid the area, we are on scene," the regional police service said on Twitter. Police also urged people to refrain from spreading "speculation" about the incident.

According to the online edition of the Spiegel magazine, German authorities were "assuming" the incident was an attack, though there was no immediate official confirmation of a motive.

Images broadcast by German television showed several police and firefighting vehicles clustered around a street in the centre of the picturesque medieval city of 300,000 people.

Armed police were deployed and officers urged residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work. Germany has experienced a number of terror attacks in recent years, including through the deadly use of vehicles.

In December 19, 2016, Tunisian national Anis Amri, 24, hijacked a truck and slammed it into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later after travelling through several European countries. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for that attack.

IS also claimed several similar attacks in Europe, including a rampage along Barcelonas Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured.

The deadliest such incident in recent years was in the French resort city of Nice in 2016, where a man rammed a truck into a crowd on Frances national July 14 holiday, killing 86 people.

The police on Twitter has requested people to refrain from speculating on the event. Further details are awaited in the incident. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 07, 2018 09:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).