Liverpool Women's Hospital: One dead in car explosion outside hospital

One person has died and another has been injured in a car explosion and fire outside a hospital in Liverpool.

Merseyside Police said there were reports of an explosion after a taxi pulled up at Liverpool Women's Hospital just before 11:00 GMT.

The force said it "has not been declared a terrorist incident" but counter-terrorism detectives were leading the inquiry "out of caution".

It added it "could take some time" before they could confirm details.

The injured man is being treated in hospital and is not in a life-threatening condition, police said.

Armed officers have also carried out a raid on a property in Rutland Avenue near Sefton Park. However, the force has not yet confirmed whether the two incidents are related.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Twitter she was "being kept regularly updated on the awful incident".

"Our police and emergency services are working hard to establish what happened and it is right they are given the time and space to do so," she added.

At a press conference outside the hospital, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: "The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. Our response is ongoing at the hospital and will be for some time."

She added: "We have triggered our information channels - to inform the local community and businesses about what information we do have and can provide. We would urge the public to remain calm but vigilant."

Phil Garrigan, chief fire officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said the car fire was "fully developed" when crews arrived shortly after 11:00.

"The operational crews extinguished the fire rapidly but... there was one fatality," he said.

"Another individual had left the vehicle prior to the fire developing to the extent that it did.

"Our thoughts are with them and the families of those involved."

Counter Terrorism Police North West said: "We are leading the investigation with support from Merseyside Police, and are keeping an open mind as to what has caused the explosion.

"We are working at a rapid pace to try and establish the circumstances behind this and will update in due course."

Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of Liverpool Women's Hospital, said staff were restricting patient access to the hospital "with immediate effect" but allowing emergency ambulances.

"Where possible, we have diverted patients to other hospitals until further notice," she added.

"We are reviewing our patient activity for the next 24-48 hours and patients should wait to be contacted for updates about any planned appointments or other attendance at the hospital."

By Phil McCann, BBC News

A patient we spoke to here told us she was heading for an exit at just before 11 o'clock this morning when she heard a very loud bang. The hospital's security teams then sealed the doors and stopped people leaving.

All afternoon rumours abounded across social media - based on the fact bomb disposal officers attended the scene; and the fact the explosion happened at around the time the nation fell silent for Remembrance Sunday.

This hospital is now full of police cars - some of which look like they have armed officers inside.

Liverpool mayor Joanne Anderson tweeted that the car fire, which has since been extinguished, was "unsettling and upsetting and my thoughts are with those affected".

"I'd like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and for bringing calm to the situation," she added.

A bomb disposal unit and fire engines attended the scene, which remains cordoned off.

Liverpool Women's Hospital, which featured in the popular Channel 4 series One Born Every Minute, receives about 50,000 patients annually and is the largest hospital in its specialism in Europe.

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