Two people were killed and 20 more injured, three seriously, on Monday after a car drove through a crowd in the eastern German city of Leipzig.

Local authorities in the state of Saxony described the incident as a rampage and police detained the driver at the scene.

"The driver has been arrested; there is currently no further danger from him," they said of the 33-year-old German national and local resident.

The two deceased were a 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man. Both were also German citizens, police confirmed on Monday evening.

What do we know about the incident?

The incident occurred on Grimmaische Street, a pedestrian shopping street connecting Augustusplatz with Leipzig's central market square, close to landmarks such as St Nicholas' Church and the University of Leipzig.

German tabloid Bild reported that the vehicle, a white VW Taigo, had traveled at a high speed from the Augustusplatz end of the street.

Police blocked off Grimmaische Street, while ambulances, police cars, fire engines and an emergency helicopter were seen responding at the scene.

A support center was set up at the nearby Gewandhaus concert hall and eyewitnesses were encouraged to come forward.

Some shops and restaurants in the area closed.

Prosecutors have opened a case on suspicion of two counts of murder and at least two counts of attempted murder.

According to the dpa news agency, the suspect had already been known to police, albeit not for relevant offenses.

Mayor decries 'shocking' car crash

Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung of the center-left Social Democrats confirmed the preliminary death toll and said the nearby area had been secured.

"It's shocking. All I can do right now is express my solidarity with the victims' families," Jung told reporters at the scene.

"Everything else will have to be determined by the work of the police and investigative authorities."

Saxony's state premier Michael Kretschmer, a member of the conservative CDU, also condemned what he referred to as the "suspected rampage."

"This shakes me to the core," he wrote on social media.

"An act like this leaves us speechless — and it leaves us resolute. We will spare no effort to investigate this matter swiftly and thoroughly. The rule of law will act with full force."

Car rammings put Germany on alert

Police have not confirmed whether the incident in Leipzig was deliberate or not.

But it comes amid heightened sensitivities in Germany after a spate of car ramming attacks in recent years.

In 2016, 13 people were killed after a man drove a truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin.

In 2024, 6 people were killed after a man drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.

And last year, a mother and daughter were killed while around 30 others were injured after a man drove a car into a crowd at a trade union protest in Munich. That same year, two people were killed when a car was driven into pedestrians in Mannheim.

Edited by: Alex Berry