Magdeburg, Germany, December 21 (HBTV): Four people have been killed, including a child, and dozens injured after a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, officials say.

German media reported on Saturday that the death toll rose from two. In a statement on Friday, authorities said 68 people had been injured, 15 seriously.

Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt state, told reporters at the scene that the suspect - who was arrested - was a 50-year-old Saudi citizen who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had worked as a doctor. 

He said a preliminary investigation suggested the alleged attacker was acting as a lone wolf. He could not rule out further deaths due to the number of injured.     

The suspected attacker's motive is unclear, and he has no known links to Islamist extremism - social media and posts online appear to suggest he had been critical of Islam.

Footage from the scene shows numerous emergency services vehicles attending while people lay on the ground.

Further footage then emerged of armed police confronting and arresting a man who can be seen lying on the ground by a stationary vehicle.

Unverified video on social media purports to show a car ploughing into the crowd at the market.

City officials said around 100 police, medics and firefighters, as well as 50 rescue service personnel rushed to the scene.   

(Inputs from BBC)