German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday went to Magdeburg to voice his sympathy and support for the victims of a Christmas market attack that killed five people and left more than 200 injured, Reuters reports.
"What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality," Scholz said. "Almost 40 are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them."
The chancellor called on the nation to stand together against hate.
"I have heard and experienced a lot of solidarity from many, many countries around the world. Many people have told me this personally, written to me, they have also made it public and it is good to hear that we Germans are not alone in the face of this terrible disaster. Once again: thank you to all the emergency services. Thank you to everyone who helped to prevent something worse from happening. And our sympathy and solidarity goes out to the relatives, the injured, the citizens of Magdeburg and all those who are now in deep mourning, like all of us," Scholz said.
The Friday evening attack on market visitors gathered to celebrate the pre-Christmas season comes amid a fierce debate over security and migration during an election campaign in Germany, where the far right is polling strongly.
