14 injured as car drives into crowd in Melbourne city centre
Police in Melbourne have arrested two people after a car drove into a crowd in a Melbourne tourist district, colliding with a number of pedestrians.
Ambulance services say 13 injured people, some seriously, have been taken to hospital. Two more people were assessed by paramedics at the scene.
The incident happened just after 16.:30 local time on Flinders Street, between Elizabeth and Swanston streets, which is a busy junction in the city centre.
The driver of the white SUV and another man have been detained.
Victoria police said it was a deliberate act but not terror-related.
They have confirmed the driver, an Australian citizen of Afghan descent, was a drug user with mental health issues but with no known terrorism links.
A second man, 24, was arrested after being seen filming the incident. He had a bag of knives in his possession. police added.
Police are appealing for witnesses who have video or photographic evidence to make it available to investigators.
The UK Foreign Office said police asked people to avoid the area while they investigate the incident.
“Follow the latest advice on the Victoria Police News website,” it told visitors.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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