At least one person has died and 16 others were injured after a white car drove into a crowd in central Berlin’s Tiergarten Park during the annual Christopher Street Day LGBTQ+ parade.

Police spokesperson Florian Nath confirmed that the vehicle struck several participants near the parade route before crashing into a tree, leaving multiple victims with life-threatening injuries.

In response to the incident around 10:00 p.m. local time, authorities halted the festivities near the Brandenburg Gate, urged attendees to evacuate Tiergarten Park immediately, and launched a manhunt for suspects who abandoned the vehicle at the scene.

Berlin Mayor, Kai Wegner condemned the event as a brutal attack on a peaceful celebration, stating, “Following a peaceful and vibrant Pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”

Police authorities have illuminated the surrounding search zone between Potsdamer Platz and the Tiergarten tunnel, maintaining an intensive investigation to track down those responsible.