Van hits pedestrians at bus stops in French city of Marseille

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By BNO NEWS

A van has been deliberately driven into bus shelters in the French port city of Marseille, killing a woman and injuring a second, local authorities say. The suspect was arrested and has a history of mental illness.

The incident began at about 9:15 a.m. local time on Monday when a Renault Master van struck a bus shelter in Marseille’s 11th arrodissement. Nearly an hour later, the van struck a second bus shelter in the city’s 13th arrondissement.

Police said a woman was killed at one scene and a second woman was injured at the other scene, though there was no immediate word on her condition. The person who was killed is believed to be a 42-year-old woman, according to French media.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested in the Vieux-Port area a short time later. The suspect, who is described as a 35-year-old man, is known to police for criminal acts and has a history of mental illness. Other details about his identity were not immediately known.

“Marseille police operation underway. Avoid the area of Charles Livon boulevard in Vieux-Port,” police said on Twitter. Local media reported that a bomb squad had checked out the vehicle, which is believed to have been stolen.

There was no immediate indication of a link to terrorism, but supporters of the Islamic State group (ISIS) spread news of the incident on its Telegram channels, believing that the vehicle-ramming could have been an act of terrorism in support of the group.

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