A car has deliberately run over pedestrians outside a busy train station in the Australian city of Melbourne, injuring at least 14 people, local officials say. The driver and a second person have been taken into custody.
The incident happened at about 4:45 p.m. local time on Thursday when a car plowed into pedestrians outside the Flinders Street railway station, which is located in downtown Melbourne, close to the state’s parliament and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“At this stage we believe it is a deliberate act. However, we do not know the motivation and it is still early stages of the investigation,” a Victoria Police spokesman said at a press conference. He declined to say whether terrorism had been ruled out as a possible motive.
“The driver of the vehicle and a second man have been arrested and are in police custody,” Victoria Police said in a written statement. “A crime scene has been established and all vehicular and pedestrian traffic are advised to avoid the area.”
Police said at least 14 people had been injured, including several victims whom were reported to be critical condition. Among the victims is a young child who suffered serious head injuries, according to the state’s ambulance service, which put the number of injured at 15.
Witnesses said the car was driving at a high rate of speed shortly before the crash.
Thursday’s attack appeared to be somewhat similar to an incident on January 20, when a car deliberately ran over pedestrians on streets in central Melbourne, killing 6 people and injuring about 30 others. The incident was believed to be linked to the driver’s mental state, not terrorism.
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