One dead, 16 injured in Berlin Pride attack as vehicle hits crowd

Berlin's Pride celebration turned tragic Saturday evening when a vehicle drove into a crowd, killing one person and injuring 16 others. The driver fled the scene, leaving the white van abandoned in the Tiergarten park, a popular spot for the event.

Florian Nath, a spokesperson for the Berlin Police, confirmed the casualties, stating, "As of now, we are talking about 17 directly affected individuals, and one of them died after resuscitation attempts." He added, "We have several seriously injured people whose lives are feared for."

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. local time when the car entered the Tiergarten from Lennéstrasse, hitting several people. Police are actively searching for one or more suspects. A large police presence has been deployed to the area, which was filled with thousands of people celebrating Pride.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the "horrible act" that marred an otherwise festive and peaceful day. He acknowledged that authorities need to investigate how a vehicle could access the area. "We have gone from a peaceful demonstration, full of love and joy, to an act with one dead and many injured," Wegner lamented, but affirmed, "Berlin is the city of freedom and diversity and will continue to position itself as such."

The Pride event was suspended, and participants were evacuated. The park was cleared by police to facilitate the investigation, transforming it into a crime scene. Over 2,000 police officers had been deployed to secure the event.