Two killed as car hits shoppers in German city

At least two people were killed and several injured when a car drove through a shopping street in the southwestern German city of Trier on Tuesday, police said, adding that the driver had been arrested.

Police were not immediately able to say whether the SUV had deliberately targeted the pedestrian zone but Trier mayor Wolfram Leibe said the driver appeared to have gone "on a rampage".

Police sealed off the area and urged people to stay away from the city centre.

Police spokesman Karl-Peter Jochem told reporters that the driver was a 51-year-old German from the local area and that "the danger is over".

He said the man ploughed through the pedestrianised high street in his SUV for about a kilometre before coming to a halt.

"It all happened very quickly. He could not escape and was detained by police," Jochem said.

On Twitter, Trier police initially said two people were killed.

A few minutes later, an updated tweet read: "Several dead and injured in Trier's inner city."

Trier mayor Leibe was quoted by SWR as saying that the driver had caused "several deaths" and injuries".

Speaking to reporters, with tears in his eyes, Leibe recounted the shock of seeing a child's shoe on the...