British authorities have confirmed that a deadly vehicle explosion outside the Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday was a terror attack, with CCTV of the explosion leaked to the press.
CCTV footage of the incident obtained by GB News shows the taxi-cab exploding in spectacular fashion as it pulls up to the hospital’s reception around 11 a.m. — the moment the country commemorated the war dead with a two-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday — and the driver stumbling out moments later as a member of staff in a high-visibility jacket rushes to assist him.
A towering blaze soon grips the vehicle, despite brave members of the public gamely attempting to tackle it with a small portable fire extinguisher.
“Following discussions with Ordinance Disposal Officers, we are able to confirm that [the cause of the explosion] is being treated as the ignition of an explosive device,” confirmed Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, head of Counter-Terrorism Police in north-west England, in an official statement.
“Our enquiries also indicate that the device was brought into the cab by the passenger,” Jackson added, revealed that while police “believe we know the identity of the passenger” they “cannot” confirm it at this time. While no description of his nationality, ethnic background, or details of any previous interactions with the authorities have been officially disclosed, Britain’s Daily Telegraph has claimed that the alleged bomber was a “Middle Eastern background” individual not previously known to the security services.
WARNING: This video contains distressing content.
GB News have obtained CCTV footage of the moment a vehicle explodes outside Liverpool Women's Hospital. pic.twitter.com/uizpVmmXZy
— GB News (@GBNEWS) November 15, 2021
Assistant Chief Constable Jackson also confirmed that “three men aged 21, 26 and 29 were arrested yesterday under S41 of the Terrorism Act” in connection with the explosion yesterday and that “in the Kensington area, a further man aged 20 was arrested” earlier today.
No details on their nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, or any previous interactions with the authorities were disclosed either.
Jackson did confirm that “significant items have been found” at Rutland Avenue, where some residents were evacuated by armed police and a police cordon put in place last night.
The senior officer said the motivation for the attack “is not clear” at present and that a clear connection between the timing of the attack and Remembrance services is yet to be established, “but it is a line of inquiry we are pursuing.”
It was earlier reported that the driver of the taxi which exploded, named as Dave Perry, was initially asked by the passenger to take him to the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Church of the Risen Christ, where large-scale remembrance services were taking place, and diverted to the Women’s Hospital after seeing that the roads were blocked — but this claim is not included in the aforementioned police statement.
Liverpool mayor told the BBC that Mr Perry, “in his heroic efforts… managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital” by locking him inside the cab.
A fundraiser for the injured driver on Facebook has raised close to £20,000.
"The taxi driver, in his heroic efforts, has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital"
Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, responds to reports about the car explosion in the cityhttps://t.co/WejcQn8i1E #R4Today
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 15, 2021
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