March 3 (UPI) -- A car rammed into a group of pedestrians in Mannheim, Germany, killing at least two people and injuring several others, authorities said.
Local authorities, including police and the public prosecutor's office, said in a joint statement that the car struck pedestrians in the city center at around 12:15 p.m. local time Monday, killing two people.
They said five people were "seriously injured" and another five suffered minor injuries. All were transported to various hospitalis, the authorities said, adding that investigators were still working to determine the exact number and severity of injuries.
A 40-year-old German man from Rhineland-Palatinate was arrested during a search for the suspect, according to the statement said.
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During a Monday night press conference, authorities said the suspect may suffer from mental illness, with Chief Public Prosecutor Romeo Schussler stating the suspect was previously convicted for drunk driving and a 2018 hate speech-related crime.
Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be Germany's next chancellor, wrote on X that crime has shocked the country.
"My thoughts are with the victims and their families," he said. "The incident -- like the terrible crimes of the past few months -- is a start reminder to us: we must do everything we can to prevent such crimes.
"Germany must become a safe country againse," he continued. "We will work with all determination to achieve this."
The city's official social media portals warned residents to steer clear of the city center for the time being, due to "a large-scale police operation" taking place.
The incident is the latest in a string of vehicle attacks in Germany in recent months.
A Feb. 13 incident in Munich saw a mother and her child killed and dozens of people injured when a Mini Cooper drove into a crowd of protesters. The suspect in that case was a 24-year-old man from Afghanistan.
Another vehicle attack in December killed six people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. A 50-year-old Saudi citizen who has been living in Germany for at least a decade was arrested.
