Police confirm dead Polish passenger in 'Berlin attack' truck
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
20.12.2016 07:47
Berlin police have confirmed that a Polish man was in the passenger seat of the truck which ploughed into a Christmas fair in the German capital, killing 12 and injuring scores.
Rescue workers at the scenes and the truck that crashed into a Christmas market, close to the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church in Berlin. Photo: EPA/PAUL ZINKEN
On Tuesday morning, police said they were investigating the incident as a “probable terrorist attack”.
Meanwhile, the DPA agency said that the driver was an Afghan or Pakistani asylum seeker who had arrived as refugee in Germany in February. The man has been detained and is being questioned by police.
“All police actions related to the probable terrorist attack […] are being conducted at full steam and with all the necessary diligence,” Berlin Police tweeted.
The truck and the trailer both carried Polish plates.
Earlier, Polish Radio had reported that the man in the passenger seat of the truck had been found with fatal gunshot wounds and was already dead during the incident.
Polish media reported that GDP recordings from the truck indicated “suspicious” activity earlier in the day, and that someone attempted to turn on the engine several times before driving off.
The Polish foreign ministry said it had no information about Polish citizens being among those killed or injured.
In a tweet, Polish President Andrzej Duda wrote: “Whoever can, please pray for the health of the wounded, and for the souls of those who died.”
(rg)