26 July,2026 08:06 PM IST | Berlin | mid-day online correspondent
Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing. Pic/AFP
One person was killed and 17 others were injured, including several with life-threatening injuries, after a car drove into a crowd during Berlin's largest Pride celebration on Saturday evening, police said, reported the IANS.
The incident took place during the annual Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade, a major LGBTQI+ rights event attended by tens of thousands of people in the German capital.
According to Berlin Police, shortly before 10 pm local time, the driver of a white vehicle drove into the crowd during the event.
Police later confirmed that 17 people were injured, including one person who died and several others who suffered critical injuries, the news agency reported.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters and medical teams, were immediately deployed to the scene. The event was cancelled following the incident, and the area was cordoned off as authorities began their investigation.
Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing. Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the crash and whether there was a second phase to the attack after the vehicle entered the crowd.
German news agency dpa reported that some witnesses told police that certain individuals may have suffered stab wounds. Officials said they were investigating all possible details and searching for one or more suspects, according to the IANS.
An information centre was established for relatives of those affected.
Berlin Governing Mayor Kai Wegner described the incident as a brutal attack on a peaceful celebration.
Wegner said the Christopher Street Day event represented a free, open and tolerant society, and expressed condolences to the victims, their families and friends, as per the IANS.
He also thanked emergency responders who arrived at the scene and said he trusted police and security authorities to carry out a full investigation.
Leaders from across Europe expressed solidarity with the victims and the German people following the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron offered condolences and said his thoughts were with the victims and their families. He said the response to hatred and violence must remain based on unity, freedom and determination, reported the IANS.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed support for those affected and for participants who had gathered to celebrate Christopher Street Day and the values of an open society.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen extended sympathy to the victims, saying that everyone should be able to live, love and stand up for their rights without fear.
She said the CSD represented values of freedom, dignity and equality, adding that hatred and violence had no place in society, the news agency reported.
The Christopher Street Day parade, one of Berlin's biggest annual public events, attracted tens of thousands of participants this year.
(with IANS inputs)
