Two feared dead in new London 'terror attack' as a white van driver ploughs into Muslims as they helped an elderly man who had collapsed at a bus stop outside well-known Finsbury Park Mosque
- A van ploughed into a crowd on Seven Sisters Road near Finsbury Park Mosque at around 20 past midnight
- Muslims were leaving taraweeh, late night prayers observed during the festival of Ramadan when the van hit
- A white man was pictured being arrested by officers at the scene after he was pinned by worshipers
- It is believed the victims were trying to help a man who had collapsed at a bus stop with a medical issue
Two people are feared dead after pedestrians were hit by a white van driver near a renowned north London mosque, in what is being described as a 'terrorist attack'.
One man has been arrested after the van ploughed into a crowd outside Finsbury Park Mosque, as they finished taraweeh, Ramadan evening prayers.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing bystanders wrestle the suspect to the floor and pin him down until officers arrived at around 20 past midnight, after he allegedly screamed 'I want to kill all Muslims'.
Others added that the congregation of victims were heroically trying to save a man who had collapsed at a bus stop.
Two police officers help a victim towards an ambulance car as devastated bystanders watch on in horror following the attack
Police were called just after midnight to reports of a vehicle in collision with pedestrians in Seven Sisters Road
One man was arrested at the scene. The suspect is pictured here being handcuffed next to a police vehicle
A pile of blankets can be seen, amid fears that there may have been fatalities in the attack
Emergency service crews were also spotted trying giving cardiac massages to the injured in a desperate bid to save them, but unconfirmed reports that two other suspects fled the van have been denied by police.
Finsbury Park Mosque has undergone wholesale changes under new leader Mohammed Kozbar, since the days when hook-handed Abu Hamza was imam there from 1997 until 2003.
Mr Kozbar told The Sun: 'Whoever did this, he did it to hurt people and it's a terrorist attack.
'We call it a terrorist attack as we called it in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge.'
Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his shock at the incident, which took place in his Islington North constituency.
He said: 'I'm totally shocked at the incident at Finsbury Park tonight. I've been in touch with the mosques, police and Islington council regarding the incident.
'My thoughts are with those and the community affected by this awful event.'
Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as a 'terrible incident', adding: 'All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones and the emergency services on the scene.'
Witnesses told MailOnline that they saw two additional suspects run away once the van had stopped.
Atikur Arhman, 41, from Finsbury Park, said: 'There was three people in there. They caught one and are looking for another two.
'An elderly man who just came from the mosque, he just fainted and people were picking him up when the van he just sped up and ran them over when the guy was one the floor.'
A heavy presence of armed police officers swooped to the scene shortly after the drama unfolded near the place of worship
Eyewitnesses reported seeing bystanders wrestle the suspect to the floor and pin him down until officers arrived at the scene
Rescue teams at the scene investigating as other emergency service members huddle together to discuss the operation
'It's not safe anymore after what's been happening. It's not been safe to walk.
'Two people ran away and one got taken away to the police.
Another person saw the horror unfold added: 'When they stopped two guys run away and with one guy people stopped him.
'If he'd gone for the main entrance then maybe 15 or 20 would have been killed.'
He added he heard there had been fatalities but did not want to 'jump to conclusions.'
Fabian Santana, 22, went to a nearby chicken shop before coming out and seeing the carnage unfold.
He said: 'I went in the chicken shop and my friend was outside, when I come back outside the same guy who was standing next to my friend was on the floor.
'If I didn't go in the chicken shop I could have been done for.
'I just feel like London for the last couple of weeks has not been safe. I'd rather go out of London.
'One of the attackers looked drunk off his face.
'Whose going to get in a van and drive straight at Muslims at this time?'
A different anonymous witness said: 'There was three people beside the van, just one van. One is tall and the other two people ran away.
'The people finished with the mosque and were going home normally and then the van bumped into them.'
Several worshipers took to the streets to pray for the victims in the aftermath of the horrific attack
More members of the Muslim community on their knees as they send their prayers to those who were affected by the van
Police extend the cordon around the scene as the investigation begins during a hectic few weeks for emergency services
Police officers attending to the scene after the vehicle collided with pedestrians in Finsbury Park at around midnight
Jamal, 21, told MailOnline: 'I think it's terrible what happened in so many locations I don't know if I'm going to be alive tomorrow, I'm worried what's going to happen tomorrow, it's scary
'It's not safe in London, total, 100 per cent it is not safe, I'm worried to come out of my house right now, it's not safe.'
Andrew, a courier who did not wish to give his surname, said he saw three people on the floor and at least one of them appeared to be in Muslim dress.
The 45-year-old, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, said he was driving back from a night shift when he saw the aftermath of the collision.
He said: 'When I drove past slowly I could count three people on the floor and police were performing CPR on one of them.
'The guy having CPR performed on him was in a gown, ethnic clothing.'
One resident told how he jumped out of the way as the van struck pedestrians.
The man, who did not want to be named, said: 'The gentleman went straight down this road, people were just conversing, talking, just doing what we're doing.
'And he just came into all of us.
There was a lot of people. We got told to move straight away.
'I was shocked, shocked, shocked. There were bodies around me.
'Thank God I just moved to the side, I just jumped. Everyone is hurt. Everyone is actually hurt.'
Jennifer Heape said: 'Apparently a van has ploughed into people coming from Finsbury Park mosque. People are reporting of several injured, some fatalities.
'Police are escorting people home very calmly. They are making sure people stay indoors.
'No panic, but it's very serious. A LOT of helicopters.'
The area was cordoned off as police rushed to the scene after getting the call just after midnight
A pedestrian is wheeled away on a stretcher by paramedics as the receives emergency treatment
An eyewitness who lives on Seven Sisters Road told the BBC there were people 'shouting and screaming'.
She added: 'Everyone was shouting 'a van's hit people'.
'There was this white van stopped outside Finsbury Park Mosque that seems to have hit people who were coming out of the mosque after prayers finished.'
A Metropolitan Police helicopter was seen circling overhead as photographs posted on social media showed a huge response from the emergency services.
Dozens of police cars and vans cordoned off a large area of the normally bustling thoroughfare as stunned locals gathered at the scene.
Images on Twitter appeared to show a clean-shaven white man with black hair being detained by police officers behind a van, surrounded by a group of shouting onlookers.
The vehicle in question appears to have been rented from a company based in Wales, Pontaclun Van Hire.
Mehdi, a 38-year-old worshipper, told the Evening Standard: 'There were loads of people coming out and the van took a left and went straight into them.
'I saw four of five people one the floor. At least one person was stabbed.
'The crowd caught a guy. He tried to do a London Bridge thing.'
A woman named Hajal said her sister witnessed the immediate aftermath of the incident.
There was a huge emergency service presence at the scene after the car swerved onto the pavement
She told LBC Radio: 'Everyone was just running everywhere she didn't realise what was going on at first until she people on the floor.
'She ran to see first victim and realised it was a family friend.'
'An old man didn't have a pulse. Police came and took over. She said it could have been an accident.
'At first she thought there was some sort of fight. There were 15 to 20 people hitting somebody - she didn't realise it was the man who ran over the people.
'She said someone was still under the van but he was breathing. The second [more seriously injured] person was family friend who at first said he couldn't feel his legs.'
Another person who lives nearby, Ishmael, told the station: 'I pray there regularly. I'm there right now. There's a very close friend of mine and in a very bad critical condition.
'I hear from the other guys that they just stand there and have a coffee.
'The van drove to there. I had just left the area because I wasn't feeling very well.
'One of my friends witnessed it. He told me the van went through the people standing there. 6 or 7 people, and one Asian guy is definitely dead.
'My friend is in bad critical condition. He was under the van. His head was bleeding.
'Someone took a video of him. Very shocking video. He's got family and a wife.
'The police answered the phone and told me he's alright. But the other friend they don't really know his condition. They're both in ambulances and heading to a London Hospital.
'Something's going to happen here one day here. Since that incident I had a feeling something was going to happen to the Mosque. We don't have no security.
'This is Ramadan and there was no security at all. Anyone who wants to do anything can come there. If someone wants to kill hundreds they can come there easily.'
Abdikadar Warfa said: 'I saw a man underneath the van. He was bleeding. My friend said he had to lift the van, I was busy with a man who tried to escape.
'My friend said he said some words, but I didn't hear it.
'They (people who were hit) were mostly young. They are very bad.
'I tried to stop him (the suspect), some people were hitting him but I said stop him and keep him until the police came.
'He was trying to run away but people overpowered him. He was fighting to run away.'
Emergency services rush to get a stretcher to the injured strewn on the pavements after the attack
This is the vehicle that smashed into people outside the mosque, which has been hired from a Welsh company
A Met spokesman said officers were called at 12.20am 'to reports of a vehicle in collision with pedestrians'.
They added: 'Officers are on scene with other emergency services. There are a number of casualties being worked on at the scene. There has been one person arrested.'
The incident follows two terrorist attacks in a matter of weeks at Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge.
The Muslim Council of Britain has confirmed that worshippers leaving Finsbury Park Mosque were targeted when a van ran into them, adding: 'Our prayers are with the victims.'
London Ambulance Service Deputy Director of Operations, Kevin Bate said: 'We were called at 12.15am to reports of a road traffic collision at Seven Sisters Road.
'We have sent a number of ambulance crews, advance paramedics and specialist responses teams to the scene. An advance trauma team from London's Air Ambulance has also been dispatched by car.
'We are working closely with other members of the emergency services at the scene.
'Our priority is to assess the level and nature of injuries and ensure those in the most need are treated first and taken to hospital.
'More information will follow when we have it.'
The incident comes almost three months to the day since Khalid Masood killed five people after mounting the pavement at Westminster Bridge and stabbing a police officer to death.
Earlier this month, three Jihadis drove into pedestrians on London Bridge before launching a knife attack in Borough Market, killing eight and wounding another 48.
The incident comes almost three months to the day since Khalid Masood killed five people after mounting the pavement at Westminster Bridge and stabbing a police officer to death
Khuram Butt lies dying in Borough Market shortly after he was shot by armed police following another incident involving a van on London Bridge
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