Several injured as car crashes into rugby fans gathered in Australia’s Newcastle

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A car drove into a crowd in the Australian city of Newcastle on Saturday, injuring several people, police said.

The driver was arrested at the scene in ⁠the city ​about 110 km (68 ⁠miles) north of the New South ⁠Wales state capital Sydney.

Authorities could not confirm how many people had been injured, a police spokesperson said, adding that initial indications suggested the incident was not terrorism related.

Multiple people, ⁠including children, were critically injured, Newcastle mayor Gavin Morris said in televised remarks.

Two of those injured were taken to hospital in a critical condition, a New South Wales Ambulance spokesperson said. Mr Morris said it appeared the ‌driver lost control of the ​car that hit the crowd.

"It ‌appears that ⁠he was revving the car in ⁠some form," he said in televised remarks.

Thousands had lined the city's streets to farewell the Newcastle Knights rugby league team due to compete in the country's National Rugby League grand final in Sydney on Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.