This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/breaking-australia-man-deliberately-drives-into-crowd-pedestrians-melbourne-today-live-latest-a7536546.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Child among four killed as car ploughs into crowd of pedestrians in Melbourne | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A man deliberately drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Australia's second-largest city, killing at least four people - one of them a child - and injuring 20 others. | |
| Police said the incident in Melbourne had no links to terrorism. | |
| The chaos began in the early afternoon, after a man was seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major junction in the centre of the city, before he turned on to the Bourke Street Mall, a pedestrian-only road. | The chaos began in the early afternoon, after a man was seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major junction in the centre of the city, before he turned on to the Bourke Street Mall, a pedestrian-only road. |
| He deliberately collided with pedestrians before continuing on to a pavement and hitting several other people, Victoria state Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson said. | He deliberately collided with pedestrians before continuing on to a pavement and hitting several other people, Victoria state Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson said. |
| The man was arrested at the scene and there was no further threat to the public, Mr Bateson said. | The man was arrested at the scene and there was no further threat to the public, Mr Bateson said. |
| Police believe the incident is connected to a stabbing that had occurred in the city earlier in the day. | Police believe the incident is connected to a stabbing that had occurred in the city earlier in the day. |
| The incident comes amid global concern over extremists using vehicles to strike crowds, following truck attacks in Berlin and Nice, France, last year. | |
| Mr Bateson said the Melbourne incident had no links to terrorism. | Mr Bateson said the Melbourne incident had no links to terrorism. |
| “At this present stage, we ask the public to avoid the city,” he said. | “At this present stage, we ask the public to avoid the city,” he said. |
| “It is going to take us a really long time to process this scene. Our priority at the moment is with the injured, and it must be that we give them our attention.” | “It is going to take us a really long time to process this scene. Our priority at the moment is with the injured, and it must be that we give them our attention.” |
| Paramedics were assessing 20 people at the scene, several of whom had serious injuries, Ambulance Victoria said. | Paramedics were assessing 20 people at the scene, several of whom had serious injuries, Ambulance Victoria said. |
| Video footage shot from a news helicopter overhead showed several heavily armed police officers standing near the area where the incident happened. | Video footage shot from a news helicopter overhead showed several heavily armed police officers standing near the area where the incident happened. |
| Several officers could be seen standing over a man lying on the pavement, clad only in his underwear, his hands apparently handcuffed behind his back. | Several officers could be seen standing over a man lying on the pavement, clad only in his underwear, his hands apparently handcuffed behind his back. |
| Police could also be seen examining a heavily damaged red car at the scene. | Police could also be seen examining a heavily damaged red car at the scene. |
| A video posted on social media captured the moment the car began driving in circles in the junction before continuing on towards Bourke Street. | A video posted on social media captured the moment the car began driving in circles in the junction before continuing on towards Bourke Street. |
| The streets around the incident were shut down. | The streets around the incident were shut down. |
| The Australian Open tennis championship is currently being held in the city. Officials said the event was continuing as normal. | The Australian Open tennis championship is currently being held in the city. Officials said the event was continuing as normal. |
| AP | AP |