Horror in Munich: 28 injured, including children, as details on attacker Farhad N. emerge
Members of the emergengy services work at the scene where a car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Munich on February 13, 2025. (AFP Photo)
A car drove into a group of people in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 individuals, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred near Dachauer Street, where members of a trade union had gathered for a demonstration.
A man suspected of crashing a car into a crowd in the German city of Munich on Thursday has been identified as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Farhad N. (24), a police spokesman said.
Bild reported that Farhad N.’s refugee application was refused recently. Farhad N. was born in January 2001 in Kabul and resided in Germany since 2019 as a refugee applicant.
At least 28 people including children were injured in the incident, the spokesman said. According to Bild, 2 people were severely injured during the attack.
The driver of a car that drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Munich on Thursday appears to have acted intentionally, said the head of the regional government.
“I must tell you it looks like this was an attack,” Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder told reporters.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder has described the recent incident in Munich, where a car plowed into a crowd injuring at least 28 people, as a “suspected attack.”
Soder emphasized the need for swift action in response to the attack, stating, “The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany – and quickly.”
The police arrested the driver, a 24-year-old Afghan national, immediately after the incident, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters.
“Based on current information, the perpetrator was known to authorities for previous drug offenses and shoplifting. The investigation is ongoing,” he said.
At least 28 people injured
At least 28 people were hurt after a car crashed into a crowd in the German city of Munich on Thursday, emergency services said, a day before the city hosts a high-profile security conference.
The incident also came 10 days before Germans head to the polls in a key election on February 23.
“At the moment there are 20 injured, several of them seriously and some of them in a life-threatening condition,” fire service spokesman Bernhard Peschke told AFP.
Local media reported that the car, a Mini Cooper, drove into a group of striking workers from the Verdi union and that ambulances had rushed to the scene. The ground at the scene close to the city’s historic centre was littered with items including glasses, shoes, thermal blankets and a pushchair.
Munich police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn told reporters at the scene that “the circumstances around the incident and how it happened are still being investigated”.
Other eyewitnesses told the site that a man had been shot at and taken away by police.
Driver detained, investigation underway
Munich police confirmed on social media platform X that “several people were injured” when “a car drove into a group of people.” Authorities later announced that the driver had been detained and did not pose any further threat.
There is currently a major police operation in the area of Dachauer Straße / Seidlstraße. We are on site with strong forces for you.
We will inform you on this channel.
Munich Police
Currently, around 20 injured people are being cared for by the rescue services. We do not yet have any information about the severity of the injuries.
That is why rescue helicopters, among other things, are in use.
Munich Police
Local media, including Bild, reported that at least 15 people were injured in the incident. However, it remained unclear whether the driver’s actions were accidental or intentional.
A major police operation was launched near Munich’s central train station, with officers investigating the circumstances surrounding the event.
Incident occurs ahead of Munich Security Conference
The timing of the incident has raised security concerns as Munich prepares to host the Munich Security Conference, which is set to begin on Friday. The high-profile event will see the arrival of world leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The location of the crash was approximately 1.5 kilometers (one mile) from the venue of the security conference, prompting heightened vigilance among authorities.
Trade union demonstration targeted
According to German broadcaster BR, those struck by the vehicle were participating in a demonstration linked to a strike organized by the Verdi union. Ambulances were quickly dispatched to the scene to assist the injured.
An eyewitness told German program BR24 that police fired at the vehicle after it entered the demonstration line.
“I saw that a man was lying underneath the car,” the witness said. “Then I tried to open the door, but it was locked.”
Authorities have not released details about the driver or their potential motive, and police are continuing to investigate any possible connections between the demonstration and the crash.
The area has been sealed off, and police have urged eyewitnesses to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation.
Details to follow…
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