The Latest: Police find suspicious object in Muenster van

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on the vehicle that has crashed into a crowd in the German city of Muenster (all times local):

6:15 p.m.

Police say a suspicious object has been found in the van that ran into a crowd in the German city of Muenster, killing three people and injuring 20 others.

Police say they’re still examining what kind of an object it is and whether it’s dangerous. They say the driver of the van killed himself after running into a crowd in front of a popular bar in the western city.

Police told German news agency dpa that the object was the reason why a large area around the scene was sealed off after the crash on Saturday afternoon.

Muenster Mayor Markus Lewe says the reason for the crash is still unclear.

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6:05 p.m.

A German police spokesman says three people were killed and 20 injured when a van crashed into a crowd in front of a popular bar in downtown Muenster.

Andreas Bode told reporters the driver of the van shot himself dead inside the car after the crash Saturday afternoon. He said the driver’s identity was not yet known.

The van crashed into people sitting in front of the famous Kiepenkerl bar on one of the first spring days in the western German city.

Bode said six of the 20 injured were in severe condition.

Police said it was too early to speculate about the motive behind the crash and say they are still investigating. They have urged people in Muenster to avoid the city’s downtown area.

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5:45 p.m.

A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel says “our thoughts are with the victims and their families” who were killed and injured when a vehicle crashed into a crowd in the western German city of Muenster.

Spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer on Twitter called the crash Saturday “terrible news.”

Police in Muenster say a vehicle crashed into a crowd in front of a pub in the city’s historic downtown area, killing and injuring people before the driver killed himself.

The German news agency dpa reports that a large-scale police operation is underway and that much of the area is cordoned off to the public.

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5:20 p.m.

Police in the western German city of Muenster say a vehicle has crashed into a crowd there, killing several people and injuring others.

The German news agency dpa has quoted police as saying the driver of that car in Muenster has killed himself.

Police tweeted Saturday afternoon that residents should “avoid the area near the Kiepenkerl pub” where a large-scale police operation is underway. Kiepenkerl is a popular bar in the city’s historic downtown area.

Further details about the crash were not immediately available.

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