Muenster, Germany: At least four people are dead after a van ran into a crowd of people in the downtown area of the German city of Muenster on Saturday afternoon, the Interior Ministry said.
The death toll includes the suspected driver, who committed suicide by shooting himself in the van, a police spokesman said.
The cause of the incident remains unclear and is being investigated.
About 30 people were also injured when a van ran into a group of people in the western city with a population of roughly 300,000.
Local police were warning people to avoid the area in order to allow emergency services to perform their duties. They also requested the public via Twitter to avoid speculating on the cause of the incident.
The German government expressed condolences to victims. “Horrible news out of Muenster,” wrote spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer on Twitter. Justice Minister Katarina Barley thanked emergency services and said that everything must be done to figure out what lead to the incident.
Muenster is one of Germany’s most important university cities, boasting more than 50,000 students, and features a quaint downtown with numerous bars, restaurants and cultural institutions.
— dpa
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