MELBOURNE: Australia and England’s players are safe and accounted for, after a car drove into a crowd close to Flinders Street Station in Melbourne on Thursday evening. According to reports, between 14 and 16 people were injured as a result of what police are calling a “deliberate act”. The incident took place around 4.45pm Australian time local time and local police have since arrested two men, including the driver, for the incident.
“Following the Flinders Street incident in Melbourne, all players and management have been accounted for and are safe,” an ECB statement said. Cricket Australia (CA) has not released a statement but all Australian players are understood to have been accounted for and safe.
According to police, the car “collided with a number of pedestrians” on Flinders Street and a number of people were injured as a result, with several in a critical condition. Flinders Street is a busy junction in the city centre and less than two kilometres from the MCG, which is scheduled to host the Boxing Day Ashes Test five days from now.
Last year, ahead of the Boxing Day Test with Pakistan, security had to be enhanced at the MCG after Victorian police made several arrests days before the Test was due to begin.
At the time seven people were arrested over what Victoria’s Police chief commissioner said were potential attacks at Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul’s Cathedral, believed to be planned for Christmas Day.