A judge in Germany has ordered the suspect in the dedly Christmas market ramming attack to be held in pre-trial detention following a late-night court appearance on Saturday, according to a statement from police early Sunday.

The attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg has raised questions about public safety and intelligence gaps in Germany. Police have described the suspect as "atypical," while experts have also blamed social media.

This is a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas," Saxony-Anhalt governor Reiner Haseloff said.