3 dead, 20 injured a van crashes into crowd in Germany

Police vans stand in downtown Muenster, Germany, Saturday, April 7, 2018, shortly after a van crashed into a crowd, killing three people and injuring 20 others. (Photo from dpa via AP)

BERLIN — Three people were killed and 20 injured on Saturday afternoon when a van crashed into a crowd in front of a popular bar in downtown Muenster, according to a German police spokesman.

Andreas Bode told reporters the driver of the van shot himself dead inside the car after the crash. He said the driver’s identity was not yet known.

The van crashed into people sitting in front of the famous Kiepenkerl bar on one of the first spring days in the western German city.

Bode said six of the 20 injured were in severe condition.

Police said it was too early to speculate about the motive behind the crash and say they are still investigating. They have urged people in Muenster to avoid the city’s downtown area.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

Spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer on Twitter called the crash Saturday “terrible news.”

The German news agency dpa reports that a large-scale police operation is underway and that much of the area is cordoned off to the public. /atm