DHAKA: Ten people were killed and 15 injured after a man drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto of Canada, reports BBC.

The suspect has been named by police as Alek Minassian, 25.
A man was arrested several streets away following a tense standoff with officers on the street.

Bystander videos appeared to show the driver pointing an object at the officers, who could be heard shouting at him to get down. The man was then detained without any shots being fired.

Toronto deputy police chief Peter Yuen asked for witnesses to come forward and said there would be "a long investigation". He said separate hotlines had been set up for victims' families and for witnesses.

City police chief Mark Saunders told a news conference that the incident appeared to be deliberate but the motive was still unknown. He said Alek Minassian, from the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, was not previously known to them.

Canadian public safety minister Ralph Goodale, in a tweet thanking the emergency services, referred to the incident as a "horrific attack".

The incident occurred at Yonge Street and Finch Avenue at 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Monday (April 23). The crime scene encompassed a 2km (1.24 mile) stretch of Yonge Street.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted from Ottawa: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto."

Toronto Mayor John Tory called it "a very tragic incident" that was "not representative of how we live or who we are". He said he had "offered any and all assistance that the city can provide to the police to help this investigation".

BDST: 0924 HRS, APR 24, 2018
SI