more than 200 into crowds. more than 200 people were injured, many of those are critical. and the chancellor, a little earlier in his remarks to the media, saying they were concerned about those who were critically injured. he also said that it was important that the attack was important that the attack was investigated in detail and with precision. he said the perpetrators could not get off scot free. but the chancellor and also the premier of saxony—anhalt, where it took place, talking about how it was an astonishing and unimaginable that something like this could happen in germany. there was a cabinet meeting in the state, the state premier addressing the state premier addressing the media said that the financial resources that would be needed would be made available to the victims and their loved ones. you can see

people are out in the city trying to come to terms with what has happened. there will be a memorial service in the city pass cathedral at 7pm this evening. and indeed state premier said that the site would be a sight of commemoration after what had happened. the support was therefore the victims. the chancellor, olaf scholz, called it a dreadful tragedy, saying normally a christmas market is very peaceful and joyful, and what a dreadful tragedy it is that so many people were injured and killed with such brutality in a place like that. of course, christmas markets are very much part of the tradition in germany. they take place in many cities and towns. and security is being increased at a number of those locations

after the attack on friday night. particularly in berlin. we have heard about leipsic. others say they will hold silent markets without music. the chancellor talkingabout how support will be provided for those who have been affected, including the victims and their families. he talked about how it was very moving for him to talk to the first responders who got to the scene. now the suspected attacker is a 50—year—old doctor from saudi arabia, who has been living in germany since 2006. most recently, he had been working in the town about 25 miles, or 40 in the town about 25 miles, or a0 kilometres away. at the moment of the authorities think that he was acting alone. but they are investigating what the motive could be. and the chancellor talked about that. he said it was important that we investigate in detail, with

great precision, what had happened. he said the authorities would be investigating the perpetrator investigating the perpetrator in depth. but he also said it was important to the whole of germany stand together. and there you can see the flowers that are building up in the nearby church. we saw earlier the chancellor laying a single white rose. but the community coming together and already leaving lots of bunches of flowers. and the chancellor talking about how it is important to the nation stood united. he said, we should not allow those who wish to sell hate to do so. there has been a lot of speculation on social media, particularly immediately after the actual incident at around 7pm last night. a lot of people talking about how there needs to be less speculation while the authorities investigate. the chancellor saying that will be done in

depth. he ended his press statement by thinking people from around the world for expressing solidarity with the city, and with germany. he said it was very positive to hear that germany is not alone. but the confirmation in the last half an hour, the number of people who have lost their lives in this incident has risen to five. more than 200 others are injured. a number of those, germany media reporting a1 are serious or medically ill. they are concerned that that number may rise. the state premier describing it as astonishing and unimaginable that something like that could happen in germany. thanking the emergency workers for their outstanding work and saying he hoped there wouldn't be further fatalities. olaf scholz calling it a dreadful tragedy in a christmas market which is

normally a joyful place. the government will provide support for those who need it. and indeed the attack will be investigated in depth. but he said it was important we stand united. and certainly we have seen people coming out laying flowers outside that church. let's speak to matthew karnitschnig, politico s chief europe correspondent in berlin. thank you forjoining us. i wonder as you listened to the chancellor what you made of what he had to say at the scene? ~ ., ., , scene? well, i thought it was clear he was _ scene? well, i thought it was clear he was very _ scene? well, i thought it was clear he was very shocked - scene? well, i thought it was clear he was very shocked by| clear he was very shocked by what he was seeing and moved by it. it obviously comes at a very delicate time for him personally, coming out of the holidays, but this is clearly one of these events that transcends politics. and i think he note that he needed to. you also saw a kind of

cross—party response in germany. the state premier that you referred to from the christian democrats, the main political rival. this is the kind of issue in germany, as in most countries, i think, that transcends the political debates, even though there is an election campaign going on. we will talk about that in a while. ijust wonder, just we will talk about that in a while. i just wonder, just the sense of shock there will be across germany that this has happened in a christmas market which is so much part of the tradition in germany? i think that's right- _ tradition in germany? i think that's right. i— tradition in germany? i think that's right. i have _ tradition in germany? i think that's right. i have noticed i that's right. i have noticed recently that the markets here, i am in berlin close to where the 2016 attack was that killed 12 people and injured over 50 people, that the atmosphere at these markets has become more relaxed this year, i felt, than it had been in recent years in the wake of that attack. i

disagree a little bit about what the state premier was saying there, that no—one can imagine this happening in germany. in fact, imagine this happening in germany. infact, many imagine this happening in germany. in fact, many people can imagine it because it has happened before. there have been other terrorist attacks in germany, in small towns, as recently as this fall. so this is something that people are worried about. and this is a reminder ofjust how exposed the country is to these attacks. and that if you live in an open society there is only so much you can do. they did take measures in magdeburg to try and prevent this type of thing. obviously they weren't sufficient. but again, if you have an open society, there is only so much you can do to rein in people's freedoms. we only so much you can do to rein in people's freedoms.— in people's freedoms. we are seeinu in people's freedoms. we are seeing some _ in people's freedoms. we are seeing some of— in people's freedoms. we are seeing some of the _ in people's freedoms. we are seeing some of the pictures | in people's freedoms. we are | seeing some of the pictures of these red and green concrete bollards. a lot of the markets across germany did ring these

in after the attack you mentioned in 2016? that's ri . ht. mentioned in 2016? that's right. those _ mentioned in 2016? that's right. those bollards - mentioned in 2016? that's right. those bollards are l right. those bollards are designed to prevent a truck attack like the one we saw back then. the problem in magdeburg was that he was driving a small suv, a bmw x three, at very high speeds. and he was able to get around the bollards. i guess the distance between them wasn't narrow enough. these are the type of things that communities are going to need to rethink. but in general terrorist have a tendency to find the next possible week point and to exploit it. we mentioned _ point and to exploit it. we mentioned the _ point and to exploit it. we mentioned the political. there is an election coming up. how impactful do you think this attack will be on what is talked about in the election campaign going forward? even the state premier talked about

political concerns being important going forward once they have dealt with the aftermath of this incident? i think that remains to be seen because people pass first instinct in this attack, as in other recent attacks, was to assume this was islamic terrorism, that the suspect was a member of isis or some other islamist group, and that appears not to be the case. if anything, he is an anti—islam activist. everything that we know about himself are, and there is a pretty in—depth record of his police on social media, and in the german press. he gave an interview to a german newspaper a couple of years ago in which he described himself as an anti—islamist activist, or anti—islam activist. he does not fit into the usual pattern of what we would expect to see here. in

fact, he seems to have blamed germany for going to soft in the muslim world and not doing more to help in particular saudi asylum seekers come to europe. he accused angela merkel and others of promoting the islamisation of europe. so, he doesn't really fit into the kind of usual categories that we see in these attacks. and in fact, he has expressed his support for the far right alternative for germany, the party known here as the afd, which one might think might be the main beneficiary of an attack like this in terms of the political fallout. attack like this in terms of the politicalfallout. so i think it remains to be seen, because it does not really fit into the usual narrative that we see in the wake of these attacks. �* ,., ., attacks. also not fitting in the fact that _ attacks. also not fitting in the fact that 50 _ attacks. also not fitting in the fact that 50 years -

attacks. also not fitting in j the fact that 50 years old, saudi and a doctor. what do we know at the moment about him? that's know at