The Liverpool City Region mayor, Steve Rotheram, has disclosed that currently, four individuals are in a critical condition in hospital after to the horrific incident where a vehicle barrelled into a street filled with supporters after Monday's Premier League title parade.
The grim aftermath of the event on Water Street saw nearly 50 fans injured — four of whom were children — with 27 requiring immediate medical attention. The likes of Steven Gerrard and Jurgen Klopp are among those who have paid tribute to those injured.
Liverpool postponed all staff events in light of the incident. In a BBC interview conducted Tuesday morning, Rotheram delivered an update asserting, 'still four people who are very, very ill in hospital'. This follows reports that both an adult and a child were seriously hurt.
When questioned whether this number represented an escalation in gravely wounded individuals, Rotheram clarified: "No, not directly, but of course we're in liaison with the police and with the ambulance services.
"Last night they had two gold command meetings. One was really late in the evening, so this morning I'll get some updates."
Concerning the ongoing investigation by law enforcement, according to Rotheram's remarks on BBC Breakfast, he indicated that there are 'no new details' regarding the probe. Nevertheless, he confirmed intensive efforts are underway to ascertain how the car managed to speed into the sealed-off street.
Steve Rotheram offered an update on the situation on Tuesday morning
Steve Rotheram offered an update on the situation on Tuesday morning (Image: BBC BREAKFAST)
His further comment was: "Our thoughts really should be with the people who are in hospital at the moment."
Rotheram highlighted that the Prime Minister has been kept abreast of developments and has offered assistance as needed. Inquiries about the potential influence of alcohol on the distraught occurrence also arose, due to the number of pubs on Water Street.
"There's a lot of speculation and that's part of the problem," expressed Steve Rotheram, highlighting the unease caused by unfounded claims. "All those things caused real consternation, but the police acted very, very quickly to put paid to some of that speculation.
"I don't think it's worth us speculating on what might have happened to the driver." Dave Kitchin of the North West Ambulance Service spoke out at a press briefing last night verifying that 27 individuals were conveyed to hospital after the incident.
He reported: "We can confirm that our teams treated 20 patients at the scene for minor injuries and these did not need hospital treatment. 27 patients in total were taken to hospital by ambulance, and we believe two of those, including one of the children, have sustained serious injuries."
Jenny Sims, assistant chief constable of Merseyside Police, has made an appeal to the public to refrain from perpetuating unverified details online. "The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested," she detailed.
A large police presence remains at the site of the incident on Water Street
A large police presence remains at the site of the incident on Water Street (Image: GETTY)
"We believe him to be the driver of the vehicle. Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media.
"While the event tonight is undoubtedly troubling, I want to assure everyone that this seems to be a singular occurrence, and currently, we are not pursuing any other suspects.
"The incident is not being treated as terrorism. We would ask that people refrain from sharing distressing footage from the incident online and please share any information directly with our investigation team."