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Finsbury Park: casualties as van crashes into pedestrians near London mosque – live updates Finsbury Park: casualties as van hits worshippers near London mosque – live updates
(35 minutes later)
4.22am BST
04:22
While we await an update from the police, who have not yet confirmed if this was a deliberate attack or terrorist incident, our reporters are talking to people on the scene, many of whom have described the van purposefully driving into a group who had left the mosque.
Abdikadir Warfa has told Guardian crime correspondent Vikram Dodd that he and and others caught hold of the van driver, who threw kicks and punches as he tried to escape. Mr Warfa said:
He tried to run away he tried to escape. Some people were hitting him he was fighting to run away. I heard the sound of the van crashing. One person was under the van, some were run over.
He said some of the people hit by the van were wearing Islamic clothing.
4.12am BST
04:12
Finsbury Park – a typically diverse London suburb
Martin Farrer
Finsbury Park is a typically diverse London suburb situated a few kilometres north of the city centre. It’s home to a wide variety of nationalities and although it is undergoing a lot of change through gentrification (a theatre has opened in recent years, Pret a Manger is on the way etc), it retains a strong working-class flavour and is characterised by people from all walks of life.
It’s perhaps best known as home Arsenal football club. On match days, the streets – and pubs – are surrendered to thousands of fans who are disgorged from the Tube and railway station to walk down the road to the Emirates stadium.
It’s also the centre of London’s Algerian population, with the dense pocket of coffee shops and restaurants at the top of Blackstock Road known as “Little Algiers”, and before that was a popular landing point for Irish immigrants.
Finsbury Park is also known as home to the mosque linked to the radical cleric Abu Hamza. The mosque’s current leaders have sought to purge its extremist past and have it removed from black lists.
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at 4.13am BST
4.04am BST
04:04
The chairman of the Finsbury Park Mosque tweets:
Our thoughts and prayers with those who got injured and effected by this cowardly attack in Finsbury Park area, many casualties in the floor
3.57am BST
03:57
'Terrible incident' – Theresa May
Prime minister Theresa May has described the situation near Finsbury Park mosque as a “terrible incident”.
“All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones and the emergency services on the scene,” she said.
3.54am BST
03:54
Counter-terrorism police investigating
The Guardian’s crime correspondent Vikram Dodd writes:
Counter-terrorism police are investigating a major incident in the Finsbury Park area of north London after a van hit pedestrians leaving a number of casualties. The Guardian understand that counter terrorism officers have joined regular police looking at the incident which is in its early stages. Officers are investigating whether the collision was accidental or deliberate and it is understood that armed officers have been deployed as a precaution.
3.53am BST
03:53
Jeremy Corbyn 'totally shocked'
The Labour leader, whose constituency includes Finsbury Park, has said he is “totally shocked” by the incident and has been in touch with mosques, the police and Islington Council.
I'm totally shocked at the incident at Finsbury Park tonight. pic.twitter.com/1ffKijNs73
3.45am BST3.45am BST
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Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, says on Twitter that the authorities are investigating a “major incident” in Finsbury Park.Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, says on Twitter that the authorities are investigating a “major incident” in Finsbury Park.
Emergency services are on the scene and investigating a major incident at Finsbury Park. Follow @Metpoliceuk and @Ldn_ambulance for details.Emergency services are on the scene and investigating a major incident at Finsbury Park. Follow @Metpoliceuk and @Ldn_ambulance for details.
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A second man has told Sky News that there were three men in the van. He said one was held by members of the public until police arrived but the other two ran away.A second man has told Sky News that there were three men in the van. He said one was held by members of the public until police arrived but the other two ran away.
“There were three of them and two of them ran off. One of them was held here by worshippers until police came, but I’m worried because the other two must be somewhere around Finsbury Park.“There were three of them and two of them ran off. One of them was held here by worshippers until police came, but I’m worried because the other two must be somewhere around Finsbury Park.
The man said the van swerved into the crowd just as prayers ended.The man said the van swerved into the crowd just as prayers ended.
“I saw six or seven people on the floor, most of them were male.”“I saw six or seven people on the floor, most of them were male.”
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One resident told the Press Association he jumped out of the way as the van struck pedestrians. The man, who did not want to be named, said:One resident told the Press Association he jumped out of the way as the van struck pedestrians. The man, who did not want to be named, said:
The gentleman went straight down this road, people were just conversing, talking, just doing what we’re doing. And he just came into all of us. There was a lot of people. We got told to move straight away. I was shocked, shocked, shocked. There were bodies around me. Thank God I just moved to the side, I just jumped. Everyone is hurt. Everyone is actually hurt.”The gentleman went straight down this road, people were just conversing, talking, just doing what we’re doing. And he just came into all of us. There was a lot of people. We got told to move straight away. I was shocked, shocked, shocked. There were bodies around me. Thank God I just moved to the side, I just jumped. Everyone is hurt. Everyone is actually hurt.”
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The Guardian’s Richard Preston, who is on the scene, said a witness told him that an elderly man had collapsed at a bus stop and was being tended to by a crowd of people when the van hit.The Guardian’s Richard Preston, who is on the scene, said a witness told him that an elderly man had collapsed at a bus stop and was being tended to by a crowd of people when the van hit.
3.12am BST
03:12
Vikram Dodd
Eyewitness Boubou Sougou saw the incident and says the driver deliberately piled into people on the pavement. He filmed video on his camera phone, showing people being tended to some apparently with serious injuries. In one case one person appeared to be given CPR.
Sougou, 23, said: “ It was not an accident, I saw everything. People were badly injured. The van driver tried to escape but people grabbed him. He did not say anything.”
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at 3.15am BST
3.09am BST
03:09
Andrew, a courier who did not wish to give his surname, said he saw three people on the floor and at least one of them appeared to be in Muslim dress.
The 45-year-old, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, told the Press Association he was driving back from a night shift when he saw the aftermath of the collision.
He said: “When I drove past slowly I could count three people on the floor and police were performing CPR on one of them. The guy having CPR performed on him was in a gown, ethnic clothing.”
Updated
at 3.09am BST
3.07am BST
03:07
The Guardian’s crime correspondent Vikram Dodd is on the scene. He says:
I am standing on the junction of Fonthill Road and Seven Sisters Road. Police tape is up and the road is blocked by a flotilla of police vehicles. Standing back are armed police officers and local people are also standing around, some are agitated and others are slightly bemused. One or two have witnessed what happened and are in a state of shock.”
3.06am BST
03:06
'Three men in van' – witness
A witness has told Sky News that there were three men in the van. He said one was arrested and two ran away. But this has not been confirmed. Police have simply said one man has been arrested.
3.04am BST
03:04
To clarify, the incident took place outside the Muslim Welfare House, which contains a mosque, but not the Finsbury Park Mosque, which is some 300m away.
2.53am BST
02:53
2.49am BST
02:49
'A lot of chaos outside' – witness
A witness who lives opposite the scene of the crash has described the moment to the BBC:
From the window, I started hearing a lot of yelling and screeching, a lot of chaos outside. Everybody was shouting: ‘A van’s hit people, a van’s hit people.’ There was this white van stopped outside Finsbury Park mosque that seemed to have hit people who were coming out after prayers had finished. I didn’t see the attacker himself, although he seems to have been arrested, but I did see the van.”
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at 3.16am BST
2.47am BST
02:47
At least 10 people injured – witness
While there are no official confirmation of how many people have been injured, police and the Ambulance Service have said there are a number of casualties.
A witnesses has told Sky News that at least 10 people were hit outside the mosque.
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at 3.16am BST
2.42am BST
02:42
Vikram Dodd
Rabbi Herschel Gluck of the Jewish security grip Shomrim, rushed to the scene.
He said: “It seems the van went on to the pavement people where there were people drinking coffee after their fast. We are here to support the local community. The hurt are predominantly Muslim.”
Updated
at 3.17am BST
2.39am BST
02:39
The incident comes towards the end of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and the holiest time of their year. During Ramadan Muslims fast daily from dawn to dusk and focus on prayer, purification and acts of charity. This year Ramadan began on 26 May and ends on Saturday 24 June.
Updated
at 3.17am BST