A tragedy blackened Germany days before Christmas. A car at high speed crashed into a crowd of people at the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. According to official information from the authorities, two people died, one of the victims was a child, at least 60 were injured. There is also a detainee who is a doctor in a hospital in Germany, NOVA reported.
What is known about the perpetrator is that he is from Saudi Arabia, 50 years old, and is not known to the authorities as an Islamist. He worked as a doctor in a hospital in a small town near Magdeburg, specializing in “psychiatry and psychotherapy”. He has been an activist for years, advising women who want to leave Saudi Arabia. At the same time, he is against migration to Germany because he believes it is Islamizing Germany and is a supporter of the far-right party “Alternative for Germany”.
Shortly after the crime, a video appeared on his social media profile in which he made confused accusations against activists fighting for the rights of migrants. In the video, he accuses the authorities of failing and claims that the Germans are following him.
His motive remains unclear, but everything seems very well planned. He did it on the last day before the school Christmas break, when many people are outside. The car crashed into a part of the market dedicated to fairy tales and, accordingly, there were families with small children. The bazaar was surrounded by concrete blocks and there was only one gap between them, the car entered from there at breakneck speed. No explosives were found in the car used in the crime, and the car was being searched until late last night.
Four days before Christmas Eve, the Christmas market in Magdeburg is full of people. Shortly before 7 p.m., a car plows into the crowd at breakneck speed and drives for 400 meters. The perpetrator is caught very close and quickly afterwards. The police were on high alert. In recent weeks, there have been several arrests of suspects in terrorist plots to attack Christmas markets or New Year's celebrations. The nightmarish night brought back memories of December 19, 2016, when an ISIS terrorist drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people.
Stories from Bulgarians living in Magdeburg
“I was traveling, returning from work, and my best friend, who lives in another city, wrote to me. She was worried that maybe I was there and called me, even asked if I was alive and well”, says Emi Georgieva, a resident of Magdeburg.
”The whole city is chaos. Even from small towns, ambulances and police are arriving, because there are many injured, even deceased”, she says. “I am just terribly upset. I am trying to hold on, but I can't. It's very beautiful there, you can drink, eat, have fun with the children”, says Galina Lichter.
These two of our compatriots have been living in Magdeburg for years. Every year they go to the Christmas market before the holidays, but last Friday night they accidentally decided to stay home.
„Thank God, this year we hadn't gone and we thought, in fact, we should go. But apparently fate protected us, we didn't go. A very close friend of mine worked at one of the pavilions that are at the beginning of this market and she saw everything”, said Emi Georgieva.
„It's lucky that I wasn't there today”, says Galina Lichter. Every week the traditional market is visited by our compatriots. There are no reports of Bulgarians being injured.
“The situation is terrible at the moment, we are all in shock. Everyone is looking for acquaintances, parents, friends. Some kind of terrible shock. I saw all the footage and I am simply shocked. On the other hand, I am also grateful that I am not there today, nor my family, relatives, acquaintances, and friends”, says Galina Lichter. “There were certainly Bulgarians,”, believes Emi Georgieva.
This news brings back memories for our compatriots of the attack in Berlin in 2016. They say that since then there has been an increased police presence and barriers in the city center. “There were certainly a lot of police officers. In the last few years we have been there, there have been iron fences, but especially the entrance, which is not there because a tram passes by and people have to enter," explained Emi Georgieva.
„There have always been police officers who have guarded us. There have also been concrete fences like this. But there is always one entrance and one exit. And they used exactly this entrance and exit today," explained Galina Lichter.
The residents of Magdeburg are still looking for answers. In the wee hours of the night, it was learned that the bomber was a doctor at a local hospital.
And Emi Georgieva and Galina Lichter will celebrate a quiet Christmas at home. Grateful that they and their loved ones are well. „I would hardly go there with my family anymore. It can't be peaceful. There's no way. I think I'm not the only person who would react this way. "We don't have peace of mind, everyone is somehow scared," says Galina.
“Grandparents are in Bulgaria, they will be worried about the situation and I hope that if there are people in Bulgaria who have relatives in Magdeburg, they will not worry, everything will be fine, but, unfortunately, yes, I have people who have died”, commented Emi.