At least three persons were killed and 20 others, including a toddler, injured after a car hit pedestrians in the busiest Bourke Street of Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) area today.
"We currently have three deceased and at least 20 people injured," according to Victoria Police.
The incident appears to be connected to a stabbing incident which happened earlier in a Windsor suburb.
"The exact circumstances surrounding the events are still being determined and we will provide further information when it comes to hand," a police spokeswoman said.
Media reports said that paramedics were assessing 20 people after the incident that happened at around 2 pm (local time) and police arrested a man.
Police said a man has been arrested following the incident and the situation has been contained.
According to reports, the incident took place during a police pursuit which began in the suburbs, and ended in the CBD.
"At this early stage it is believed a man driving a vehicle has struck a number of pedestrians in the vicinity of Bourke and Queens Streets just before 2pm," a Victorian police spokesperson said.
Former Victoria Police commissioner Christine Nixon, who was present at the scenem, said one of the injured was a toddler, who appeared to get thrown out of a pram.
"I was standing on the corner of Bourke and William waiting to cross the road, and people were calling out," she said.
"I turned around and saw the car. He was probably about a metre from me, I stepped back [from the road] and he continued down Bourke Street on the footpath, with people chasing him. There were a number of people on the ground, many bystanders went to help," she said.
Armed police wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets were scene moving through the area, along with uniformed and plain-clothed officers.
There have also been reports of people hearing gunshots, the report said, addinga major police operation was underway.
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