At least two dead after car drives into crowd in German city of Mannheim

At least two people have died after a car was driven into a group of pedestrians in the western German city of Mannheim - with a large police operation under way.

Several people have been "seriously injured" after the black vehicle rammed into crowds, according to German police, with a witness telling Reuters they saw people lying on the ground and two being resuscitated.

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The driver is a 40-year-old man from the nearby state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the state's interior minister Thomas Strobl told local media. Police said he was taken into custody.

Police spokesperson Stefan Wilhelm said that the incident unfolded on Monday at around 12.15pm local time in a pedestrianised part of Mannheim's Paradeplatz area.

"We can confirm that one perpetrator was arrested," he said. "We can't yet give information on whether there were further perpetrators."

A spokesman for the German interior ministry added: "The focus is now on saving lives, treating the injured and the initial investigations by the authorities in Mannheim."

Armed police and forensic investigators were seen examining a black vehicle with smashed windows near the city's Rhine bridge.

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Police described it as "a life-threatening deployment situation", saying in an initial statement: "Currently, a police operation is taking place in the city center of Mannheim, in the area of Wasserturm/Plankenkopf.

"Police and rescuers are on the way. Further information is not yet available. In this context, there may be temporary traffic disruptions in the inner city."

An alert was issued on the Katwarn smartphone app - used in major emergencies - telling people in Mannheim to avoid the city centre due to a big police deployment.

Mannheim University Hospital said it is prepared for a possible "mass casualty incident", implementing its disaster and emergency plan, and increasing intensive care capacity, according to German news agency DPA.

A total of eight trauma teams have been made available - for both adults and children, according to the agency.

"Postponable operations that had not yet begun were immediately removed from the operation plan in order to create additional operating capacity," the hospital said in a statement.

Crowds have been gathering in cities across Germany, including its Rhineland region, for parades to mark the country's carnival season.

Police were on high alert after social media accounts connected to Islamic extremist groups called for attacks on events planned in Cologne and Nuremberg.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she cancelled her appearance at the Cologne parade due to the events in Mannheim.

Today's incident follows other similar ones in recent weeks, including a deadly car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg in December and another in Munich last month.

Mannheim has a population of 326,000 people and is around 50 miles south of Frankfurt.

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