An articulated lorry has ploughed into a busy Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 45.

Quoting Berlin State Interior Minister Andreas Geisel, BBC report said it was still unclear if it had been an attack or an accident.

A suspicious person was arrested nearby, police say, while what they describe as a passenger was found dead.

The market is at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in the city's west.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been in contact with the interior minister and the mayor of Berlin, her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, tweeted.

“We are in mourning for the dead and hope that the many injured can get help,” he added.

BDST: 0843 HRS, DEC 20, 2016
SR