Image source, Reuters

Today's attack came as Munich prepares to host its Munich Security Conference - which attracts leaders from around the world.

We've just received images of US Vice-President JD Vance arriving in the city for the conference, where he's expected to discuss the war in Ukraine.

As a reminder, police say they do not believe the attack today is related to the conference, which begins tomorrow.

A little earlier, witnesses at the scene told our reporter Daniel Wittenberg that people ran for cover moments after the attack.

Now, we're hearing more from another witness, Alexa.

She tells Reuters the driver of the Mini Cooper accelerated before hitting the crowd - something police confirmed earlier.

"It was fast enough to pull 10 to 15 people to the ground," Alexa says. She also describes hearing one to two gunshots, which she believed came from police.

Police said one shot was fired.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

The Afghan suspect arrested in Munich "must be punished" and "must leave the country", German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says.

"This perpetrator cannot hope for any leniency. He must be punished and he must leave the country," Scholz tells reporters, in a translation from Reuters news agency.

"If it was an attack, we must take consistent action against possible perpetrators with all means of justice," he adds.

According to local outlet BR24, injured people are being treated at multiple hospitals around Munich. That includes a children's hospital and the Munich Red Cross Clinic.

Some of the injured include employees of the Munich city administration, Munich's Deputy Mayor Dominik Krause tells the outlet.

Several participants at the trade union rally brought their children with them, "which makes the act even more heinous", Krause says.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

• What happened? A car drove into a group of people at a trade union rally in Munich earlier today
• Where did it happen? The incident took place on Seidlstrasse, in central Munich - Germany's third largest city by population
• How many were injured? According to the latest police update, at least 28 people were hurt, some seriously
• Who was in the car? Police say the driver was a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who was known to them for theft and drug offences. He has been "secured", they say

• What else do we know? Bavaria's state premier says it was presumably an attack - police say they shot at the suspect's vehicle after it sped up and hit people
• What don't we know: There have been reports of a second passenger in the car - police say they can't confirm this

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from Munich

I’m yards from a shattered white Mini Cooper, lying at a pedestrian crossing in the middle of three lanes of traffic, now cordoned off by police.

There’s a major dent in the roof and windscreen. One of the headlights has come off and the front bumper is broken.

What looks from here like a pram is strewn across the floor, as well as half a dozen umbrellas and hi-vis jackets.

The nearest shops to where the vehicle has stopped are an ice cream parlour and a fitness shop.

About a kilometre up the road is Munich’s main railway station.

Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from Munich

We’ve just spoken to three university students who were doing some work at a coffee shop on the street where the incident happened.

They came outside when they heard shouting. They were confronted with a "distressing" scene and saw "lots of people running for shelter".

Pedestrians sprinted for cover in shops and residential buildings that line either side of the thoroughfare.

One student, who didn’t wanted to give her name, says "it’s obviously very unsettling. I can’t concentrate on anything else."

A familiar dread for Germany, as a national election approachespublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time

12:33 GMT

Jessica Parker
Berlin correspondent

Across Germany, people will have felt a familiar sense of dread and horror on hearing these initial reports.

In 2016, a truck was driven into a Christmas market in Berlin by a Tunisian man who was a failed asylum seeker and had been a known jihadist threat – leading to 13 deaths.

In December last year a car ploughed through crowds, again at a Christmas market, in the city of Magdeburg. Six people died and around 300 were injured. The suspect was a 50-year-old Saudi man who’d been an outspoken critic of Islam.

Magdeburg was the deadliest in a string of attacks over the last year in Germany, involving suspects who’ve been asylum seekers.

It’s heightened an already tense migration debate in Germany, ahead of a national election next week. While many details still aren’t known, police say the man they’ve detained in Munich is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who was known to them for theft and drug offences.

Bavaria’s state premier, Markus Soder, has said what’s happened today is presumably an attack.

Here's more details from Munich police spokesman, Christian Huber, about the moments before and after the suspected attack.

A police vehicle was travelling at the rear of the Verdi trade union rally, he says.

"A vehicle approached and came up behind the police vehicle. It then moved to overtake, accelerated and reached the end of the rally...

"[Police] colleagues caught the attacker. One shot was fired at the vehicle. The attacker was arrested. We currently estimate that we have at least 28 people injured, some seriously.

"The exact number has not yet been determined. As regards the attacker, what we can say is that he is a 24-year-old Afghan, with asylum seeker status."

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, we reported that witnesses told Germany's Bild newspaper that police shot at the vehicle after it hit the group pf people.

Police now confirm that they did shoot at the vehicle - we don't know at this stage if this caused any injuries.

Munich police say the car approached police cars at the Verdi trade union demonstration, then sped up and hit people.

As we previously reported, Bavaria's prime minister said the crash appears to be a "suspected attack".

According to police, the 24-year-old Afghan national suspected of driving the car is an asylum seeker.

Police add they do not believe the incident is related to the Munich Security Conference, which is set to begin tomorrow.

More now from the news conference, where Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder says the crash is a "suspected attack".

“The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany – and quickly," he says.

Damien McGuinness
Berlin correspondent

Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder says the Munich car incident was presumably an attack.

As we just reported, police say the suspect is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.

At least 28 people are injured, some seriously.

Officials say the suspect was known to the police for theft and drug offences.

Munich police say the driver of the car that crashed into the group was a 24-year-old Afghan.

We'll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.

We'll have updates from the police in Munich very soon - press watch live above to follow along.

We just reported that eyewitnesses told reporters that two men were in the vehicle that crashed into a group in Munich.

In a new update on their X account, Munich police repeat they have "secured" the driver, but say they are unable to confirm reports that another person was involved.

We'll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.

Eyewitnesses to the incident tell German newspaper Bild, that two men were in the vehicle - a Mini Cooper - when it crashed into the group.

One of the men was shot by police and taken away from the scene, the witnesses say.

The BBC has not been able to verify this claim - we'll have more reports from the scene soon.

We have a new update from Munich police, who say at least two people have serious injuries.

Emergency services are still on site, they add.

Earlier, the fire brigade told news agency AFP that some of the victims are in "a life-threatening condition".

As a reminder, authorities say around 20 people were injured in total.