Several people have been taken to hospital following what firefighters in Gesundbrunnen, Berlin have described as “a mass casualty incident”, which police are investigating
A police officer is among multiple people hurt after a car careered into pedestrians – and a brick wall – in Berlin last night.
Emergency services swarmed the street in the Gesundbrunnen area of the German capital, near the historic city centre, after what the fire service described as a “mass casualty incident”. Several people have been rushed to hospital, including at least one person with life-threatening injuries.
Berlin Fire Department says the car, thought to be a taxi or private hire vehicle, “suddenly lurched from the roadway onto the sidewalk” when police had stopped it for inspection last night. It careered into the building wall and hit pedestrians on Brunnenstrasse, a main road which connects Gesundbrunnen with the city centre.
“A pedestrian was trapped under the vehicle and suffered life-threatening injuries,” a spokesperson for Berlin Fire Department has said. They added police and Good Samaritans were able to rescue the pedestrian from the rubble and provide first aid until paramedics arrived.
But other people are believed to have suffered serious injuries in the crash, which happened at around 10pm on Wednesday. It was so severe the Berlin Fire Department’s control centre classified the job as “a mass casualty incident,” to which around 20 firefighter vehicles – and 60 personnel – were deployed. Police and paramedics were also present.
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No further details about the trapped pedestrian, including their gender or age, have been disclosed at this stage. The police officer suffered less severe injuries but required treatment at the scene, as did other members of the public.
At least four people, including the pedestrian, were taken to hospital. The fire department continued: “All rescue measures were coordinated by a senior emergency physician and an organisational head of the rescue service.
“The vehicle, the building, and the surrounding area were inspected, and fire protection was ensured. No further technical measures were necessary.” Police are now leading the investigation into Thursday. It is unclear at this stage if any arrests have been made in connection with the crash.
There is no suggestion the incident is terror related. However, Berlin was rocked in December 2016 when a truck was deliberately driven into the Berlin Christmas market, leaving 12 people dead and more than 70 victims.
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