Lalit Shastri

Melbourne: Fourteen pedestrians were hit and injured, several of them critically by a rashly driven vehicle at a very busy corner near Flinders Street station here shortly after 4 pm today.

One child, a 5-year pre-schooler who has received a head injury, was immediately rushed to hospital along with the others who were also injured. In this horrific incident.

The police have not ruled out that this was a deliberate act by the driver, who has been arrested along with a second person. The police believe that people were intentionally run down.The area where the incident took place has been cordoned off and the police have advised people to keep away while investigations are on.

On being asked whether it was an act of terror, a Police spokesperson told media shortly after the incident: “It is an early stage of investigation and the motivation is unknown.”

According to eyewitnesses, about 15 to 20 persons were crossing the road when a madly driven vehicle mowed them down and came to a grinding halt after hitting a tram halt.

This is a busy intersection and Christmas shoppers in large numbers were moving through this area at the time of the incident.

The spot where the gory incident occurred is close to where I am presently staying. The sound of sirens and the commotion was heard in this area (Southbank) right through the afternoon.