Vehicle Smashes Crowd Celebrating Presidential Election Victory, Kills 3

The excitement of a presidential election victory has turned into agony and mourning after a vehicle rammed into the celebrating crowd, killing 3.

About 20 others are in the hospital receiving treatment for varying degrees of injuries, even as an angry mob immediately descended on the vehicle setting it alight.  

Supporters of President-elect Joseph Boakai of Liberia, were in a joyous mood when a vehicle rammed into those celebrating the presidential election victory in the capital, Monrovia, a medical official has said.

READ ALSO: Kogi Guber: INEC suspends election in nine wards

The police described the incident as an “accident”, but Mr Boakai’s party called it an “act of terrorism”, the Zambian Observer said.

The tragic accident is coming just hours after Liberia’s electoral body declared him the winner of last week’s presidential election.

He thus defeated a sitting president, and Liberia football legend, George Weah.

It was a closely fought election, with just over 20,000 votes separating the two candidates in the run-off poll.

Mr Boakai’s supporters were reportedly celebrating the official announcement of his victory outside his Unity Party (UP) headquarters in the capital, Monrovia, when the accident happened.

READ ALSO: Duoye Diri Wins Bayelsa State Governorship Election

The newspaper said there were conflicting reports on the time of the incident, but that witnesses place it at some point in the two hours after 21:00 local time (21:00 GMT).

“[The vehicle] just picked up with speed and ran into the supporters,” UP spokesman Mohammed Ali told the AFP news agency.

After the accident, the driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle near the party office before fleeing. The police have launched a manhunt, the report added.