SINGAPORE: There are no reports of Singaporeans directly affected or injured in an attack on a Christmas market in Germany, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (Dec 22) morning.
MFA also advised Singaporeans in Germany to avoid crowded places.
Five people, including a nine-year-old child, were killed after a car ploughed through a crowd in the eastern German city of Mageburg on Friday evening. More than 200 people were also injured, dozens critically.
“Singapore condemns the horrific attack,” said an MFA spokesperson. “There cannot be any justification for such attacks on innocent people. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish the injured a quick recovery. We express our solidarity with the people of Germany during this period of grief and pain.”
The Singapore Embassy in Berlin has contacted eRegistered Singaporeans in Saxony-Anhalt, the state where Magdeburg is located. The embassy is also maintaining close contact with local authorities to determine if any Singaporeans were affected, said MFA.
CCTV footage of the attack showed a black BMW SUV driving at high speed straight through a dense crowd.
The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, is a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatry doctor. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen held strongly anti-Islam views and was angry with Germany’s migrant and asylum policy, officials said on Saturday.
In an unpublished interview with AFP from 2022 for an unrelated story, Abdulmohsen presented himself as “a Saudi atheist”. Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Fraser said he held “Islamophobic” views.
MFA advised Singaporeans in Germany to follow local news and heed the instructions of the local authorities.
“They should be vigilant and take the necessary precautions, including avoiding crowded places, and especially the incident site near the Magdeburg Alter Markt district,” added the ministry.
Singaporeans who need urgent consular assistance should contact the embassy or the 24-hour Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office at:
Singapore Embassy in Berlin
Tel: +49 30 2263 430
Duty Hand-Phone: +49 152 2341 2182
Email: Singemb_ber [at] mfa.sg
MFA Duty Office (24-hours)
Tel: +65 6379 8800/8855
Email: mfa_duty_officer [at] mfa.gov.sg
