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 was driven 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.

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

The driver is still on the loose.

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

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 event was immediately cancelled.