One dead, several injured after car drives into crown in Mannheim

At least one person has died and several have been injured after a car drove into a crown of people in the German city of Mannheim.

A vehicle drove into a crowd of people in a Mannheim city centre shopping street, according to eyewitnesses cited by Rheinpfalz, a local newspaper. A Shrove Monday carnival market was taking place nearby.

An active law enforcement operation was underway in the city centre, with police and rescue forces on the scene.

"As part of the search measures that were immediately initiated, a suspect was identified and arrested," Mannheim city police confirmed in a statement.

According to a statement to German news agency DPA, the Mannheim University Hospital has activated its "disaster response" plan.

Eight trauma teams have been made available, both for adults and children.

"Operations that could be postponed and had not yet begun were immediately removed from the operating schedule in order to create additional operating capacity," the hospital says.

If confirmed as an attack, it would be the latest in a series of incidents that have haunted Germany over the past few months. Last month, at least 28 people were injured after a car drove through a crowd of people in Munich.