A joyous celebration in Liverpool turned into a scene of chaos on Monday evening when a vehicle crashed into a crowd gathered for a parade marking Liverpool Football Club’s recent Premier League title victory.
The incident, which occurred in the city center, left 27 people hospitalized, including four children.
Two individuals—one adult and one child—suffered serious injuries, according to David Kitchin, head of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust. An additional 20 people received treatment at the scene for minor injuries.
Authorities have arrested a 53-year-old white British man believed to be the driver of the vehicle. Merseyside Police confirmed that the collision is not being treated as a terrorist attack and that no other suspects are being sought.
Officials have described it as an isolated incident.
Thousands of fans had filled the streets earlier in the day, waving flags and letting off red smoke flares as players paraded the club’s 20th top-flight title in an open-top bus.
However, the festive mood was shattered when a gray minivan plowed through the crowd. Social media footage shows panicked supporters scrambling and surrounding the vehicle after it came to a stop.
Nick Searle, Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, reported that three adults and a child had to be pulled from beneath the vehicle.
Emergency services quickly responded, and the crash site near the Liver Building on Water Street was cordoned off, with police erecting a tent for investigation.
Eyewitnesses recounted the horrifying scene. One fan, Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his family, described how the van sped into the crowd.
“It was extremely fast… you could hear the bumps as he was going over people. It was horrific. People were unconscious on the ground,” he told PA Media.
Footage captured by Reuters and other outlets showed emergency responders carrying injured individuals on stretchers and administering aid at the roadside.
Witnesses described people chasing the vehicle in an attempt to stop it as it moved through the crowd.
Police said they received reports of the incident shortly after 6 p.m. local time. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims urged the public to avoid speculation and misinformation while investigations are ongoing.
She confirmed that extensive inquiries are underway to determine the events that led to the crash.
The parade had followed a 10-mile route through Liverpool and coincided with a public holiday in the UK. Fans had come from far and wide to witness the celebration.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident “appalling” and extended his sympathies to those injured. He also thanked emergency responders for their swift action in the face of the tragic events.