Melbourne Bourke Street incident: one dead, two injured after stabbing – live updates | Australia news

An update from Yarra Trams:

• Diversions for Route 1, 6, 86 and 96 trams
• No Route 3, 5, 16, 64, 67 & 72 trams running between Stop 11 St Collins and Stop 8 Melbourne Central Station.

Melissa Davey

At West Melbourne police station several tables have been set up to interview the dozens of witnesses who were at the scene in a makeshift interview space.

Police are guarding the station doors and directing people inside to give their statements.

It looks like it will be a very long night for police and witnesses.

The Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp, has praised police, emergency services and the community of Melbourne.

"Melburnians should be rebadured by the police and worked quickly, bravely and effectively to minimize harm to the public and contain the situation.

"I'm proud of the way our community responds to police instructions at the scene. I know we will feel the impact of these terrible events and it's important that we pull together as a community and support one another. "

Here is a map of the current road closures in Melbourne CBD.

First Daniel Andrews has also thanked police.

The ABC reports to the man throw some kind of object into the car that set it alight.

Ben Knight, the reporter for Ben Knight, said, "Come on the road to the car".

We have now published some footage of the incident today. It shows the car on fire, the man fighting with the police, and the suspect being arrested.

Warning: Some viewers may find the footage distressing.

The opposition leader Victorian, Matthew Guy, has offered his thanks to police.

Helen Davidson

Will Mitchell said he was getting a haircut across the mall from when people started running past screaming.

"The hairdresser goes run, run, run, run and run the shop," he said. "I went out to see what happened and there was a car on fire.

"I was across the road and was on the opposite side of the road next to Target. I was just across the road, where the Starbucks coffee shop was, and I felt the heat from the car. All I saw was commotion and people running everywhere. Then I just stayed around and the police cordoned off the area. "

Members of the public are being urged to upload any of the Victoria Police.

Bourke Street has been closed by Vic Roads, for an indefinite period.

There is no access to Bourke St from Swanston St or St. Russell Exhibition St remains open to traffic. Bourke St will be re-opened when police investigations are complete.

People have been told to avoid the CBD tonight if they can.

Clayton also shared more details of how the attack was subdued.

"Nearby police quickly responded to the incident [of a car on fire in Bourke Street], He said.

"As they got out of the way they were confronted by a male brandishing a knife and threatening them. At the same time, people have been calling out to members of the public had been stabbed.

"Police shot the male in the chest and he is now in a critical condition under guard in hospital."

You can watch the full press conference below.

Police have said there are no known links to terrorism at this time.

"The investigation is ongoing, we are keeping an open mind," Superintendent David Clayton said.

"There are no known links to terrorism at this stage. We are keeping an open mind ".

He added that the police were not looking for any other attackers at this stage.

The bomb response has been taken away from the area around the mall, and is "now making the scene safe".

He said any witnesses or those with information should go to Melbourne West Police Station to make a statement.

He did not take any questions as he was "very early in the stage of the investigation."