Eight injured as taxi runs into crowd in central Moscow

Mexican football supporters are among persons injured as a taxi drives into a crowd in Moscow

16 June 2018, 7:05pm

1 min read

Ambulances were soon on the scene to provide first aid to the injured

A taxi drove into a crowd of people in central Moscow on Saturday, injuring eight people including some Mexican football supporters who are in the city for the soccer World Cup, Russian officials and an eyewitness said.

Interfax news agency cited a source as saying that the driver was drunk at the time of the incident, which occurred near Red Square. Eight people have sought medical assistance, the Moscow police said.

Moscow’s traffic management authority said the taxi driver had a driver’s license issued in Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic. The authority cited the driver as saying he had not driven into the crowd on purpose.

A witness at the scene said that some of the people hit were wearing Mexican team colours. Mexico take on Germany on Sunday in their first World Cup match at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium.

The same witness said that the driver tried to flee the scene but was apprehended by police.

Russian authorities have vowed to host a safe football World Cup, which is taking place in 11 cities until July 15.