Police and emergency services are deployed on Water Street in Liverpool after a car drove into a crowd during the Premier League victory parade. Photo: Jon Super/AP/dpa
Keystone
A car has driven into a crowd in Liverpool on the fringes of the football championship celebrations, injuring several people. The driver of the vehicle was arrested, according to the police on Platform X. Photos showed police and emergency services attending to injured people at the scene. “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling,” wrote Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Platform X.
The background is still unclear. The incident took place on the sidelines of Liverpool FC’s championship celebrations. Thousands of people were on the streets. “My thoughts are with all those injured and affected,” wrote Starmer.
Videos showing the incident went viral on social media. The vehicle was reportedly a car with dark paintwork that drove several meters through the crowd. The footage has not been verified.
Numerous emergency services were deployed. The North West Ambulance Service said: “We are currently investigating the situation and are working with other emergency services. Our priority is to get people the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”
Thousands of people celebrated Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC had previously celebrated the championship victory extensively, with the team driving a ten-mile route through the city in an open-top bus. The people celebrated the club extensively.
Coach Arne Slot’s Reds had already secured the Premier League championship ahead of schedule at the end of April, with the final matchday being on Sunday. Up to one million people were expected to attend the victory celebrations.
According to the police, the first reports of an accident were received shortly after 6 p.m. local time (7 p.m. CEST). Initially, there was talk of an accident involving pedestrians. The news channel Sky News quoted an alleged eyewitness who reported hearing screams. A car had driven over people.