Three people were found dead in the English city of Nottingham, and three others were run over and injured by a van in separate incidents that occurred early Tuesday morning, police said.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, Nottinghamshire Police said.

“This is a horrific and tragic incident that has claimed the lives of three people,” said Chief Commissioner Kate Meynell.

Meynell explained that two people were found dead on a street just after 4 a.m. and a third on a different street than the one in the van incident. The three injured were being treated at a hospital. There was no immediate word on his condition.

Police gave no immediate indication of a possible motive.

“We believe these three incidents are related and we have a man in custody,” Meynell said. “This investigation is in its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened.”

The three cases investigated occurred in very different areas of Nottingham: the hit-and-run on Milton Street, in the middle of the shopping center; the two bodies were found on Ilkeston Road (to the east); and the third deceased was found on Magdala Road (to the north).

The update came after emergency services flooded into central Nottingham in what police described as a “serious ongoing incident” in the central England city.

Witness Lynn Haggitt told reporters that a white van pulled up next to her at 5:30 in the morning and she saw the driver look in the rearview mirror and see a police car slowly approaching from behind without its lights on. The van then struck a man and a woman at a corner.

“He went right at them, he didn’t even bother to turn, he just went right at them,” Haggitt said. “The lady ended up at the curb, and then he backed the white van and drove off, speeding up Parliament Street with the police cars following him.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sent his condolences to the families in what Sunak described as a “appalling incident”.

Glen Gretton, a resident of the area, said he was awakened around 5 a.m. by the noise of a series of police cars passing in front of his house. “I heard a police car go by. He was driving very fast, followed by another and another,” explained the 46-year-old delivery man. “They kept coming, so I knew that something important … was happening somewhere in the center of the city,” he said.

Images on social media showed police standing near cordons at various locations in the city center.

The city’s tram network reported that it had suspended all its services.

“There are several street closures throughout the city while the facts are investigated. We ask the public and motorists to avoid those areas and plan alternate routes,” he said.

Nottingham is a city of about 350,000 inhabitants located about 190 kilometers north of London.

Nottingham: Three dead found – arrested on suspicion of murder

Three dead were discovered in the English city of Nottingham, and three other people were hit by a delivery van. Little is known about the background so far. The police arrested a suspect.

Three people have been found dead on a street in Nottingham, England. The background is still unclear. The police suspect a possible connection between the crimes and arrested a suspect.

According to local police, emergency services were called to Ilkeston Road around 4am local time where two people were found dead. Another dead person was discovered on Magdala Road, which is about three kilometers from Ilkeston Road. No further information on the dead is available at this time.

Before the third body was found, emergency services were also called to Milton Street. A delivery truck hit three people there, it said. All three are currently being treated in a hospital.

Investigation into suspected murder

Police Commissioner Kate Meynell said in the morning that the investigation was still in its infancy. But in the three fatal incidents, the police suspect a connection. Meynell spoke of a “horrible and tragic” event that took the lives of three people.

According to the police, a 31-year-old man was arrested. He is in custody. The emergency services did not provide information on possible motives for the crime. The suspect is being investigated on suspicion of murder.

Police are asking for information from the public

In Nottingham, several streets were closed for hours, and some trams also stopped operating. The police warned the population to be patient and set up a hotline through which information about the incidents can be passed on.

Sunak expresses condolences to relatives

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter that he would be informed about the events in Nottingham. His thoughts are with the injured and the families of those who lost their lives.

Interior Minister Suella Braverman made a similar statement. Labor MP Alex Norris also spoke on Twitter of “disgusting” news this morning. He thanked the rescue and police forces for their efforts.