Several killed and injured as van driven into crowd in Muenster, Germany

At least four people are dead and 20 injured after a van was driven into a crowd outside a popular restaurant in Muenster, western Germany.

The Interior Ministry said four people had died, one of whom is believed to be the suspect. Six people remain in a critical condition.

German news media cited police saying the suspect shot himself dead at the scene.

Reuters quoted German police saying they are not looking for further suspects in the incident. Police cordoned off large parts of the city centre and evacuated a number of buildings as they searched the van.

The incident happened near the Kiepenkerl statue in a pedestrian area of the old town on Saturday afternoon. Police have asked residents to avoid the area so as not to impede emergency services.

While police have released no information about the identity of the suspect, several German news outlets have reported that the suspect was a German known to authorities over mental health issues and was unlikely to have had an extremist motive. The interior ministry in North-Rhine Westphalia has neither confirmed nor denied these , when asked for clarification.

Special police are reported to have raided an apartment in the city which is believed to be where the suspect lived.

What we know:

A van has been driven into a crowd in the western German city of Muenster

German police said on Twitter that there were several deaths and people wounded

The Interior Ministry later said four people had died

The incident happened around the Kiepenkerl statue in Muenster's old town

Latest quoted by news agencies say around 20 people were injured

Tthe driver of the vehicle is said to have killed himself at the scene

Large parts of the city centre have been closed off

The motive remains unclear, police are investigating

Muenster is a city of 300,000 people north of Dortmund in western Germany. It is one of the most important university cities in Germany with more than 50,000 students.