Four children are among those injured after a minivan smashed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who had been celebrating the city team’s Premier League championship early this morning.
Merseyside Police at a press conference said a 53-year-old white British man had been arrested and an investigation was underway.
It is believed to be an isolated incident, with no other suspects sought. It is not being treated as a terrorist attack, police said.
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Ambulance services said 27 people, including four children, were taken to hospital.
Two of those patients, including one of the children, were believed to be seriously injured.
A further 20 people were treated at the scene and did not require hospitalisation, while ambulance services said some others later self-presented to hospitals.
Firefighters on the scene said four people, including one child, had been trapped under the minivan.
A video on social media appeared to show a grey minivan strike at least one pedestrian and then veer into a larger crowd of people, carving a path through the group and pushing bodies along the street like a plough before coming to a stop.
Merseyside police said they were contacted just after 6pm local time (3am Tuesday AEST) “following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians” in the city centre.
“The car stopped at the scene and a male has been detained,” the police added.
A spokesperson from Merseyside police told CNN “the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area”.
Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said the car began ramming people about 10 feet (3 metres) away from him.
“It was extremely fast,” Rashid said. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation and thanked police for their quick response.
“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” Starmer said.
The incident followed a large celebration in the city centre, where tens of thousands of dancing, scarf-and-flag-waving fans braved wet weather to line the streets and watch Liverpool’s players display the Premier League trophy atop two buses bearing the words “Ours Again.”
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Liverpool Football Club said it is in contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident. We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident,” it said on X.
Footage shared by Reuters news agency showed emergency services tending to people, some being carried into ambulances on stretchers.
Rashid said after the car struck the initial victims, it came to a halt and the crowd charged the vehicle and began smashing windows.
“But then he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”
https://x.com/LFC/status/1927078543164342468
Rashid said it looked deliberate and he was in shock and disbelief.
“My daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground,” he said. “They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.”
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said it is supporting an incident in Liverpool city centre following reports of a road traffic collision.
“We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services. Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible,” it said in a press release.
More to come …
