A car plowed into a group of people in Germany, near Hanover

Several people were injured, some seriously, after a BMW car drove into a group of people on Monday evening in Neustadt am Rübenberge, near Hanover, Germany. Four to five victims were taken to hospital, but none was in life-threatening condition, according to information available on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred shortly before midnight in the state of Lower Saxony. Police officers were nearby, conducting a routine traffic check, and intervened immediately. The officers fired shots at the car to stop it, but the person or people inside the vehicle fled on foot. The car was abandoned at the scene.

German authorities launched a large-scale search operation involving armed police officers, a helicopter and a service dog. The area was cordoned off for several hours to collect evidence and reconstruct the events.

Investigators are checking the identities of everyone involved, the number of people in the car and the reason for the incident. Initial information indicates that the victims and suspects may have known each other. Police have not yet determined whether the collision was intentional.