Investing.com -- Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign following a car attack at a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Musk made the statement on social media, criticizing Scholz as an "incompetent fool."
The incident in question involved a car being driven into a crowd at a Christmas market, resulting in at least one fatality and injuries to dozens of others, according to local media reports. News agencies report that the driver has been apprehended and that between 60 to 80 individuals have been injured in the incident.
In response to the event, all local hospitals are preparing for a mass casualty event, as stated by a city spokesperson. The initial assessment from city officials suggests that this was a deliberate attack. The area around the incident has been cordified off due to suspicions of explosives in the suspect's vehicle.
City spokesperson, Michael Reif, expressed his belief that the act was intentional, describing the scenes as "terrible" and confirming the numerous injuries. Reif stated, "My information is that a car drove into the Christmas market visitors, but I can't yet say from what direction and how far."
Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented on the incident, stating that "the news suggests something bad" and offered his thoughts to "the victims and their families." The state premier, Reiner Haseloff, described the event as "terrible" and was en route to the scene at the time of the report.
The local police force confirmed that "extensive operations" were being conducted at the market, which has now been closed. The official Instagram account of the Weihnachtsmarkt Magdeburg advised people to evacuate the market and allow emergency services to operate.
Germany's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, had previously stated last month that there were no specific threats to Christmas markets this year, but advised caution. This incident recalls the tragic event of December 19, 2016, when an Islamic extremist drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin, causing 13 fatalities and injuring many more.
Magdeburg, located west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and is home to approximately 240,000 inhabitants.
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