LONDON: At least six people were injured on Sunday after a car mounted a pavement outside a sports center in the northern English city of Newcastle, but the incident is not believed to be terrorism-related, police said on Sunday.
Local media said hundreds of people were celebrating Eid, which marks the end of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, at the sports center and that three children were among the casualties.
“On Sunday June 25, at approximately 9:14 a.m. Northumbria Police received reports that a vehicle had collided with pedestrians outside of Westgate Sports Center, Newcastle upon Tyne,” the police said in a statement.
“Police enquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what happened but, at this time, it is not believed to be a terror incident.” Police said a 42-year-old woman had been detained and was in custody.
An eyewitness told the BBC: “From what I understand, [a woman who had been at prayer] was about to leave in her car and I believe she lost control… I ran up straight away because everyone was moving in on all the injured, trying to put water in their mouths.
“The parents of the kids were there, I had to sort of try and calm them down just to tell them the ambulance is there and they will take care of it; they know what they're doing.”
The witness added that there was a lot of panic, with people screaming.
Local lawmaker, Chi Onwurah of Britain’s Labour party, tweeted: “So sad, I was at the prayers earlier & there were so much joy & unity. Thinking of those affected by what I am told was terrible accident.”
Another eyewitness, identified only as Dr. Afsar, told the BBC: “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.”
Afsar said they saw officers put the woman, who was driving the car, into the back of a 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.”
