TEHRAN, June 19, YJC - The British police have confirmed that one man is pronounced dead at the scene and at least eight are injured as a vehicle rams into worshipers leaving a mosque in the Finsbury Park area of north London.
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TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The eight injured were taken to hospital; two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
The 48-year-old male driver of the van "was found detained by members of the public at the scene and then arrested by police," the police statement said.
"He has been taken to hospital as a precaution, and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment in due course," it added.
“Due to the nature of this incident extra policing resources have been deployed in order to reassure communities, especially those observing Ramadan,” police said in the statement.
Islamophobia blamed for the attack
The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the incident, adding that the perpetrator was “motivated by Islamophobia.”
“During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship. My prayers are with the victims and their families. It appears from eye witness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia,” said Harun Khan, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain.
'Potential terrorist attack'
British Prime Minister Theresa May said police were treating the incident “as a potential terrorist attack."
“I will chair an emergency meeting later this morning. All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and the emergency services on the scene," she said.
Earlier reports said a man armed with knife leaped out of the vehicle and stabbed at least one person.
After 12:20 am (2320 GMT), police received a report of collision on Seven Sisters Road, which runs through the Finsbury Park.
"There are a number of casualties being worked on at the scene," London police said. "There has been one person arrested."
According to some reports, the vehicle hitting the crowd was a van as at least one person was arrested in connection to the case.
“We have been informed that a van has run over worshipers as they left #FinsburyPark Mosque. Our prayers are with the victims,” said the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) on Twitter.
The head of the MCB, Harun Khan, also said in a tweet that the van had "intentionally" run over people leaving prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.
Three people were said to have been seriously injured near the mosque.
Source: Press TV
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