German police have detained the suspected driver of a truck that ploughed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least nine people and injuring up to 50.

A police spokesperson confirmed the arrest and said the truck’s co-driver died during the crash.

It is not clear why the truck veered off the road into the market.

German media report a dead person was found in the lorry. Local press say police sources fear the incident could have been an attack, although there has been no concrete confirmation of this.

Police are urging local residents to remain at home.

The incident occurred in the west of the city, on Breitscheidplatz, which is one of Berlin’s busiest shopping areas.

Eyewitnesses report hearing a loud noise, before chaos ensued.



It evokes memories of the Bastille Day attack in July this year, when a Tunisian-born man drove a truck into crowds who had been watching a firework display on the beach front. Eighty-six people were killed in that incident, which was claimed by the ISIL militant group.

The market in Berlin has since been cleared of people and a police spokesperson initially expressed fears the crash could have caused a gas leak.