Six injured as car hits crowd celebrating Eid in north England city

World

Published: 2017-06-25 13:37

Last Updated: 2024-03-24 00:38


A woman was arrested in connection with the incident.
A woman was arrested in connection with the incident.

Six people, including two children, were injured in Newcastle, England, when a car ploughed into a crowd of people celebrating the Muslim holiday, Eid Al-Fitr, the BBC reported.

The incident took place around 09:14 BST outside a sports centre in the northeastern English city.

Northumbria police, who have arrested a 42-year-old woman, said that the attack was not believed to be terror-related.

Hundreds of people were at the event celebrating Eid, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

One eyewitness, a Dr. Afsar, gave the following statement:

"I was at a car park when I heard screaming so I ran towards the community college just a couple of minutes from me.

"When I went over I saw that there was a very young teenager covered in blood; another very young teenager also looked injured.

"There was a middle-aged man outside the community college with facial injuries and blood all over his face.

"The police were already at the scene. I had seen them earlier as they were there watching the prayers.

"The police put the driver of the car in the back of the police van...

"When I spoke to people at the scene that had seen what happened they said that she was exiting a car park and suddenly accelerated into a crowd of people.

"I was with a few other doctors that came to help but the police and paramedics were very quick and did not need our help.

"The Mayor of Newcastle was also there earlier for Eid celebrations."

This comes just a week after Muslim worshippers were attacked outside a Finsbury Park mosque in London. Suspected terrorist Darren Osborne, who deliberately drove his van into the crowd that was performing Taraweeh prayers, is currently in police custody.