A little after 4:30 pm local time in Melbourne, Australia’s second most populous city, a white Suzuki SUV rammed into pedestrians on the iconic Flinders Street, injuring 19, and leaving ‘several’ others in critical condition according to the police, reports ABC News. The injured also includes a 4-year-old girl.
The driver, a 32-year-old Australian of Afghan descent – with a history of drug abuse and mental illness – was arrested at the spot, according to ABC.
Victoria Police have said it is too early to tell whether it is a terror attack, but said that the ramming was ‘deliberate’ and ‘cowardly’.
As well as the driver, a person who was seen filming the incident was also arrested. Authorities found knives in his backpack but do not suspect a connection between the two men, they said.
A crime reporter from Nine News tweeted footage of the second man’s arrest:
Ambulance and police at the scene:
This is the second car ramming attack in Melbourne in 2017. In January, a man plowed a stolen vehicle into two dozen pedestrians in the city’s Central Business District, killing four and injuring more than 20. Authorities found that he too had a history of both drug abuse and mental illness.