UPDATE5 -- Garbage truck plows into pedestrians in Glasgow, killing 6

USPA News - A garbage truck plowed into Christmas shoppers in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday afternoon, killing six pedestrians and seriously injuring at least seven others, local authorities said, adding that the crash is not believed to have been deliberate. The accident happened at around 2:30 p.m. local time near George Square in the city`s center when a garbage truck struck a number of pedestrians before coming to stop against the side of the Millennium Hotel.

Police Scotland later confirmed that six people had been killed and at least seven others were seriously injured, though the total number of casualties was not yet known. "This is a tragic incident which has taken place at a very busy time in the center of our city," said Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson of Police Scotland. "Please be assured my officers and other members of the emergency services will do everything they can to respond to this collision." Police said the Glasgow City Council garbage truck was traveling north on Queen Street when it struck pedestrians outside the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) before continuing to travel for up to 300 meters (985 feet) towards George Square, where it crashed into the site of the Millennium Hotel, causing some damage. A police spokesman said the cause of the accident was not yet known, but added that it was not believed to have been a criminal or deliberate act. "Investigations continue into the circumstances of the tragic incident. We can however confirm that this is not a terrorism-related incident," Mawson added. Police said the scene had been declared a major incident, with injured and bodies scattered at several locations. The victims of the crash were taken to Southern General Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Western Infirmary, but their conditions were not immediately known. Among those injured was the driver of the garbage truck. Councillor Gordon Matheson, the leader of the Glasgow City Council, called Monday`s accident a "terrible tragedy" and said the Council`s thoughts are with those affected, "My priority now is to do what we can to support everyone involved and to give every assistance to the police and other emergency services as they investigate this incident and care for those who are injured," he said. British Prime Minister David Cameron, writing on the social networking website Twitter, said that he was being briefed on the deadly incident. "I`m being kept fully briefed on the major incident in Glasgow. My thoughts are with the families of those involved and emergency services," he said. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, called on people in Glasgow to let their relatives know if they were not hurt. "My thoughts with everyone involved in the dreadful George Square incident," she wrote on Twitter. "If you are in the city center, please let your relatives know you are ok."