One killed and several injured in suspected car ramming in Mannheim, Germany

At least one person was killed and several more were injured in a suspected car ramming in the west German city of Mannheim on Monday, police said.

“As part of the search measures that were immediately initiated, a suspect was identified and arrested. No further, reliable information can currently be released beyond the information published so far,” Mannheim Police said in a statement.

Police would not clarify the number or severity of the injuries and released no information about the suspect.

A major police operation was underway and people were urged to avoid the city center, which has been busy due to an ongoing carnival season. The Mannheimer Morgan newspaper spoke to an eyewitness who saw a car drive into several pedestrians.

The news comes just 18 days after two people were killed and at least 28 people were injured in a car-ramming in Munich, after which police said the suspected driver — a 24-year-old Afghan national — may have had an “extremist background.”

The western German city of Mannheim is in the middle of the Rhineland region’s carnival season, with colorful parades taking place this week alongside a market featuring food stalls, rides and games.