One person has been killed and dozens more injured after a car was driven into a crowd of people gathered at a pride parade in Berlin on Saturday night, authorities say.

Police said a white vehicle crashed into a group of people celebrating Christopher Street Day, an annual LGBTQI+ event, in the German capital city about 10pm local time.

In an update on social media, officers said one person had died and 16 others were hurt, with some sustaining life-threatening injuries, BBC reports.

“There are many injured, among whom multiple people have life-threatening injuries,” police said.

An emergency manhunt was launched, with police later finding the vehicle understood to be involved in the crash abandoned in Tiergarten park.

Hours later police told reporters at the scene they had identified a suspect as a member of “Berlin’s Islamist scene”, who is still on the loose.

Although no arrested have been made, the force said measures were under way.

“We have now identified a suspected perpetrator. Measures against this suspected perpetrator, who has not yet been arrested, are underway,” the spokesperson told reporters, as cited by BBC.

“However, this suspected perpetrator is known to the police as a member of the Islamist scene here in Berlin.”

An area near Tiergarten park, where the incident took place, has been cordoned off as police investigated the incident.

The city’s mayor, Kai Wegner, took to social media to condemn the incident as “an attack on our free and open-minded society”.

“Berlin is a city of freedom—and today, our freedom has been attacked in the most horrific way. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and their friends,” Mr Wegner wrote on X.

“I thank the emergency responders who were immediately on the scene and did everything in their power to help.

“And I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be investigating with the utmost urgency.”

The pride parade, which is one of the largest events for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and wider queer community in Europe, was cancelled.