One Dead and Several Injured in Vehicle Collision with Pedestrians in London

According to London Police, a cargo vehicle struck pedestrians in the Finsbury Park neighborhood, killing one person and injuring eight others. An investigation into the causes of the incident and the possibility of it being a terrorist attack is underway.

June has been a dark month for London. In early June, following a deadly attack claimed by the “Islamic State” (formerly ISIS), seven people were killed and dozens injured. Last week, a fire at the Grenfell Tower in the British capital claimed dozens of lives.

London Police have now announced that on Sunday midnight (June 18 / June 28) a bloody incident occurred near a mosque in the Finsbury Park neighborhood. Finsbury Park, located in north London, is a predominantly Muslim neighborhood in the city.

Police officers were notified at 20 minutes past midnight yesterday when a cargo vehicle struck a group of pedestrians on Seven Sisters Street, killing one person and injuring eight others.

CNN reported, citing several eyewitnesses, that three people exited the vehicle following the incident, with one of them being arrested. Police have closed off the surrounding area and the vicinity of Finsbury Park train station.

Investigation Begins

Investigations have been launched to clarify the details of the incident and whether it was a terrorist attack, with British counter-terrorism experts participating in the inquiry.

It remains unclear whether the incident was a traffic accident or if the vehicle was deliberately driven toward pedestrians. It is reported that the mosque near the site of the incident is frequented by some Islamist groups. Finsbury Park and the mosque have been busy due to worship services held during Ramadan.

Haroon Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, tweeted that “a cargo vehicle hit several Muslim worshippers who had just left the mosque,” and that this “was an intentional collision.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke of a “horrific incident” and expressed her sympathy with the victims and their families. She also called for an urgent cabinet meeting on Monday (June 19 / June 29).

In the latest terrorist attack in London on June 3 (June 13), three men drove a van through central London, striking several people, and then exited the vehicle to attack pedestrians and restaurant and café patrons with knives. All three perpetrators were killed during police and security operations.

In March of this year, an Islamist drove a vehicle across Westminster Bridge in London, killing two people and injuring several others. He then attacked an unarmed police officer in Parliament grounds before being shot dead by security forces.

On May 22 of this year, 22 people lost their lives in a suicide attack on a pop concert in Manchester.

Source: DW