Four children are among those injured
TW: Distressing content
Merseyside Police has confirmed that 27 people were taken to hospital with injuries after a car ploughed into the Liverpool FC victory parade today.
Four children are amongst those injured, with two people, including one child being considered “seriously injured”.
The injured were taken to hospitals across the city.
In a press conference tonight, also confirmed that a cyclist paramedic was hit by the vehicle but was not injured.
Deputy Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: “My thoughts are with all those injured in tonight’s horrific incident.”
She also added that the police is not considering this an act of terror, but instead an “isolated incident”.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue’s Chief Fire Officer Dave Kitchen confirmed that four people were caught underneath the vehicle, including one child.
Also speaking at the press conference, Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said the public will continue to be updated, but asked people not to speculate on social media.
He continued by saying: “Liverpool is a city that has a proud history of coming together and supporting each other during hard times.”
A 53-year-old man was arrested by Merseyside Police earlier this evening after a collision between a car and multiple pedestrians during Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League title celebrations.
Emergency services swarmed to the scene on Water Street just after 6pm today following reports of a car driving through crowds of people celebrating the football club’s league victory.
Air ambulance, police and fire rescue were all present at the scene, with BBC claiming to have seen three injured people being taken away. However, North West Ambulance Service said it cleared the scene at 9:24pm.
Merseyside Police remains on scene with a forensics tent being erected around the area of the incident.
A large van which acts as a “mobile office and control room” for the emergency services has also been set up to allow multiple agencies to work together on scene.
Before the incident, fans of Liverpool FC had been following the parade throughout the day as the team bus has travelled from Allerton Road to the Royal Albert Dock in celebration of the club winning the Premier League title this season.
Merseyside Police has reported that the unnamed driver was seen travelling along Water Street before colliding with a large number of pedestrians in the area.
In footage widely circulating online, spectators can be seen scattering as the car drives directly into pedestrians. A number of pedestrians are pushed onto the bonnet of the car as it continues to drive forward.
Filming above from a nearby building, those behind the camera can be heard saying: “Oh my god, what the f*ck”.
A number of pedestrians then swarm around the car as it begins to slow and eventually stops on the scene.
One eyewitness, Natasha Rinaldi, said she was watching the parade from her friend’s living room window when “we heard some screams”.
“It was so loud. People sounded desperate. And then we looked at the window and we saw the car [had] run over people,” she told Sky News.
She added: “Then people started rushing to go after the driver and they tried to break the car. The police did everything to block and to push people away.
“We could just hear screams and screams. We were very confused. Some of my friends were down there and the car was so near them. It was a horrible scene, nobody was expecting it.”
Have you been affected by the incident in Liverpool city centre or did you see anything? If so, we want to hear from you. Get in touch via @thetabliverpool.
This story will be updated as more news comes in.
Featured image via Google Maps, X and TikTok.