UK counter-terrorism officers have arrested three people after a man was killed in a car explosion outside the Women's Hospital in the north-western city of Liverpool.
Police said a man who was a passenger in the car was declared dead at the scene, while another man who was driving was injured and was in hospital in a stable condition.
Three men — aged 29, 26, and 21 — were detained in the Kensington area of the city and arrested under the Terrorism Act, the police said in a statement.
Police believe the car was a taxi that pulled up at the hospital shortly before the explosion occurred just before 11:00am local time on Sunday.
"Work is still ongoing to establish what has happened," Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.
"We are keeping an open mind as to what caused the explosion but given how it has happened, out of caution, counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation supported by Merseyside Police."
The police said the explosion had not been declared a terrorist incident.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the incident as "awful".
"I want to thank the emergency services for their quick response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing work on the investigation," he said.
Interior minister Priti Patel said she was being kept regularly updated.
"Our police and emergency services are working hard to establish what happened and it is right they are given the time and space to do so," she said.
Reuters/ABC
