Vehicles driven into New Year crowds

CHAOS IN TOKYO AND GERMANY

NEW Year celebrations were interrupted around the world by drivers steering their vehicles into crowds.

In Tokyo, a minivan slammed into pedestrians in a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in the centre of the Japanese capital.

Japanese police reported that eight people were injured.

A 21-year-old suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said.

He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street.

NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene.

Meanwhile, at least four people were injured when a man intentionally drove into a crowd of people in western Germany in what appears to have been an attack directed at foreigners, police said.

Muenster police said the 50-year-old driver of a Mercedes rammed into a crowd in the centre of Bottrop minutes into the new year. Two further attempts by the driver to run down other people failed.

Police said those hit by the car included Syrian and Afghan citizens, and some were seriously injured. Authorities said the driver made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest.