British Prime Minister holds emergency meeting on car crash near mosque

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she will chair an emergency meeting about the car crash near a London mosque that left one person dead.

Police at the scene of the car crash. Photo: Reuters.

"I will be chairing an emergency meeting this morning," British Prime Minister Theresa May said after a car crash near a London mosque. "Police have confirmed that this is a possible terrorist attack. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the emergency services at the scene."

The Muslim Council of Britain said a van ploughed into people as they were leaving Finsbury Park, one of the largest mosques in Britain. Police were called to the scene at around 00:20 on 19 June.

The incident left one person dead, eight people injured and hospitalized, and two people with minor injuries were given first aid at the scene.

The 48-year-old male driver was “arrested by members of the public at the scene and handed over to police,” according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police. He was taken to hospital as a precaution and will undergo a psychiatric assessment. No other suspects have been reported to police.

The incident occurred during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, or smoking from sunrise to sunset. This year’s Ramadan lasts from the evening of May 26 to the evening of June 24.

Police said they would increase their presence to reassure the community, especially Muslims.

Britain has been hit by a series of attacks in recent years. In early June, three Islamist militants drove a car onto London Bridge and stabbed people in a nearby restaurant, killing eight and injuring 50. Two weeks earlier, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Manchester Arena in northern England, killing 22 people.

According to VNE