A small van drove into a crowd during a parade celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League (EPL) victory in England, injuring at least 47 people. The incident occurred on the 26th (local time) near the Royal Liver Building in the city center of Liverpool. The Liverpool team, having secured their 20th league title, participated in the parade on an open-top bus through the city’s Water Street as part of the ‘Spring Bank Holiday’ celebrations. The parade attracted hundreds of thousands of fans along a 16 km route. However, shortly after the main parade ended and road restrictions were about to be lifted, the joyous cheers turned into screams of fear when the vehicle plowed through the crowd.
Videos on social media show a dark gray van hitting a pedestrian before veering into a crowd adorned in red Liverpool jerseys. The vehicle only came to a stop after driving through the crowd, and the driver was immediately apprehended by nearby police. Shocked citizens who barely escaped the incident were seen reacting angrily, breaking the van’s windows.
According to police, a 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool was arrested, and the incident is currently not being considered an act of terrorism. The AP reported that four individuals trapped under the vehicle were rescued. The North West Emergency Services stated that 27 people, including two with serious injuries, were taken to the hospital, while the remaining 20 received minor injury treatments on-site. At least four children were among the injured. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his sympathies on social media platform X, conveying his thoughts to everyone injured or affected by the incident in Liverpool.