British counterterrorism police announced on Sunday evening the arrest of three men in connection with the investigation into the car explosion that morning outside a women’s hospital in Liverpool (northern England), which resulted in a dead person.
“Three men – aged 29, 26 and 21 – were arrested in the Kensington area of Liverpool and arrested under the Terrorism Act,” police said on Twitter.
This explosion, the circumstances still unclear, occurred Sunday morning.
The North West England Anti-Terrorism Police, in charge of the investigation, said that “the passenger in the car – a man – was pronounced dead at the scene and has not yet been formally identified”.
“The driver – also a man – was injured […] and remains hospitalized in stable condition. “
The local police explained that they were alerted around 11 a.m. and immediately intervened.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that one person has died and another has been taken to hospital, where they are being treated for injuries, which fortunately do not endanger their lives,” police said. in a statement released in the afternoon.
“Until now, we understand that the car involved was a taxi that stopped at the hospital shortly before the explosion,” police said, indicating that “work is still in progress to establish this that happened “.
The counterterrorism police explained “keep an open mind about the cause of the explosion” and work closely with the local police.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson conveyed his thoughts “to all those affected by the terrible incident in Liverpool”.
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their rapid response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing investigative work,” he wrote on Twitter.
A few hours earlier, the Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel, had indicated on Twitter that she was “regularly informed” of new elements concerning what she described as “a horrible incident”.
“Attacking a women’s hospital is incomprehensible,” Labor MP Jess Phillips said on the same social network.
Call for “calm and vigilance”
Police lines were put in place and roads closed to traffic near the scene of the incident, from which heavy gray smoke escaped, according to images posted on local media websites.
Phil Garrigan, the Merseyside fire chief, said the vehicle fire was “fully developed” when emergency vehicles arrived.
“The operational teams extinguished the fire quickly, but, as the police chief said, there was one death,” he told reporters on the spot. “Another individual had left the vehicle before the fire spread,” he said.
The hospital said in a statement “if possible divert patients to other hospitals until further notice” and continue to allow ambulances to access the hospital “in case of emergency.”
The police urged the population to “remain calm, but vigilant”.