
An Afghan refugee ice addict accused of 'deliberately' ploughing through a crowd of shoppers in Melbourne's city centre has blamed the horrific attack on Australia's 'poor treatment of Muslims'.

It comes as horrific CCTV footage, obtained by 7 News, captured the exact moment a white Suzuki SUV pulled away from traffic and ploughed into unsuspecting pedestrians outside busy Flinders Street Station on Thursday afternoon.

Shocked bystanders were pointing in disbelief on the street as dozens of people - including a four-year-old boy and an 83-year-old man - were mowed down by the rampaging driver as he hurtled down the tram tracks.

Saeed Noori, the driver behind the wheel of the SUV with P-plates, arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2004 through a resettlement program.

'He came to Australia as a refugee. He did not come with a people smuggler, he came through the appropriate refugee, the normal refugee programs,' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.

Speaking briefly to investigators last night as he lay in a hospital bed at St Vincent's under police guard, the 32-year-old made a 'number of utterances' and 'spoke about dreams and voices'.

'But he also did attribute some of his actions to the poor treatment of Muslims,' Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said on Friday morning.

Commissioner Patton said Noori had a history of drug use and mental illness, stressing that investigators had not yet found any extremist or terrorist links to the horror rampage.

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The Afghan immigrant (pictured) accused of 'deliberately' ploughing through a crowd of shoppers in Melbourne on Thursday, reportedly named Saeed Noori, has blamed the horror rampage on Australia's 'poor treatment of Muslims'

An off-duty police officer (circled) was praised for wrestling with Noori just 15 seconds after he crashed this Suzuki Grand Vitara four-wheel drive into a bollard outside Melbourne's Flinders Street Station during peak hour

At least 19 pedestrians, including a four-year-old boy, were injured after the car ploughed into rush hour crowds (pictured)

'At this stage, because investigations are continuing, apart from that statement, there are no known links to any political issues or any, certainly any links to extremist groups,' Mr Turnbull said.

'Therefore, the position I am advised off at the moment is that no terrorism link has been identified at this stage. I want to stress, there is a mass of material that is being investigated and nothing should be ruled out, nothing should be ruled out.

'Now, whatever the motivation, this was a despicable and cowardly act, but I want to reassure all Australians that this is an isolated incident.'

The injured off-duty police officer who arrested Noori was hailed a hero after footage revealed him wrestling the Afghan immigrant to the ground moments after he crashed.

As the gallant officer recovered in hospital from a shoulder injury, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews praised the hero for rushing into the SUV just 15 seconds after it crashed into a bollard - which he described as 'an act of evil'

'The off-duty arresting officer, a member of Victoria police, who was prime in terms of detaining the alleged offender did suffer some injuries and is receiving hospital treatment,' he told reporters.

'We would be right to single him out for special praise for the way in which he instinctively came to the aid of others in the protection of public order and potentially avoiding so much other carnage.'

The 4.41pm carnage on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets injured 19 people, five critically - less than a year after six people, including a three-month-old boy, were killed in an eerily similar rampage on nearby Bourke Street just four blocks away.

The latest injury toll included a four-year-old boy with head injuries, who remains in a stable condition and improved overnight, and an 83-year-old man, with the other wounded bystanders aged between 25 and 58.

Confronting CCTV footage captures the moment the white SUV pulls away from traffic and accelerates into a crowd of unsuspecting pedestrians - bowling dozens of people over before colliding with a tram stop bollard

The man, who has a history of drug use and mental illness, spoke briefly to investigators on Thursday night after his dramatic arrest (pictured). The 32-year-old 'spoke about dreams and voices' as he lay under police guard in hospital

An off-duty police officer (pictured wearing a white shirt) sustained a shoulder injury as he arrested the 32-year-old driver

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the carnage would have been much worse if it wasn't for the quick-thinking police

The lone wolf driver was an Australian citizen from Afghanistan, who was known to police.

Noori was released from hospital on Friday afternoon and taken to Melbourne Police Station where detectives hope to formally interview him and potentially lay charges after that.

Commissioner Patton said the driver had a 'history of drug use as well as mental health issues'.

'We understand that he is on a mental health plan and receiving treatment for a mental illness,' he said. 'We're working to clarify that.'

He said the driver had missed a medical appointment on the day of the 'deliberate attack'.

'It's horrendous and life-changing for all emergency services who attend,' he added, praising the work of officers who arrived on the scene within 15 seconds of the tragedy.

'It's life changing for victims and for those present. Their lives will be changed forever.'

Paramedics at the scene were holding up tarps around the injured (pictured) who lay on the tram tracks of the busy street

Chaotic scenes unfolded during peak-hour as the white SUV crashed into the group of panicked pedestrians (pictured)

19 people were injured (one pictured) and taken to hospitals across Melbourne and five of them are in critical conditions

A 24-year-old man wearing jeans and a Nike t-shirt (pictured) was arrested on the steps at Flinders Street Station shortly after the incident. He was released on Friday morning and is expected to be charged with cannabis possession

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Thursday night the 'horrific act' was targeted against 'innocent bystanders' (pictured)

Victoria Police will remain at the scene through the night until at least Friday morning as they investigate (pictured)

Usually a busy strip in the heart of the city, Flinders Street has become a crime scene (pictured) after the car ploughed crowds

A 24-year-old man wearing a Nike shirt, who was carrying a bag containing three knives, was arrested on the steps at Flinders Street station but police say he had no link to the incident.

'Clarity on the second offender that is in custody, it has not yet been determined whether he was involved, and it is quite probable he was not,' Acting Commissioner Shane Patton told reporters.

He was released on Friday morning and is expected to be charged with possession of cannabis and a prohibited weapon.

The crash injured 19 people, including the driver and the heroic off-duty police officer.

Five men, aged 25, 40, 43, 45 and 83 and six women, aged 25, 30, 35, 47 and 58, were among the victims.

Another three men and two women were injured but their ages are unknown.

Victoria Police believe the incident had no terror link with no political motive so far established.

'We do not have any evidence to a connection with terrorism,' Acting Commissioner Patton said.

'At this stage we believe it is a deliberate act, however we do not know the motivation.'

Two men were arrested at the scene after the white SUV (pictured) crashed into a bollard at Flinders Street Station

Victoria's Labor Premier Daniel Andrews said the rampage was an 'horrific act' which targeted 'innocent bystanders'.

'What occurred on Flinders Street this afternoon was an act of evil and an act of cowardice,' he said on Thursday night. 'This is a terrible, evil, cowardly act.

'At a time of the year when so many families are celebrating the end of they year, doing their Christmas shopping ... we have seen a horrific act.'

Footage shows one of the men in a white shirt with a beard being pulled to the gutter away from the vehicle.

Another man, who was wearing a red checked shirt with a beard, was previously reported to have been arrested but is believed to have been an innocent bystander who was simply in the company of a police officer.

A witness described seeing the car hurtling towards the crowd.

'It just mowed everybody down, people were flying everywhere,' she told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

'We heard thump, thump. People are running everywhere.'

Dramatic footage shows a number of injured pedestrians being treated by passers-by as they wait for paramedics.

Victoria Police dragged the man in a white shirt (pictured) from the white Suzuki to the gutter shortly after the incident

Footage shows the damaged car surrounded by dozens of injured pedestrians while police arrest one man (pictured)

A man was seen talking to police near the scene soon after the car crashed into the tram stop bollard

Dozens of people were hit by the car with witnesses saying they saw the car doing burnouts before the incident

A witness told Nine News they thought the car was travelling at about 60km/h as it drove into busy crowds (pictured)

The white Suzuki SUV (pictured) was forced to stop its rampage when it crashed into a bollard near Flinders Street Station

A car crashed into the crowds at Melbourne 's Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street (pictured) causing dramatic scenes

Ambulance Victoria said paramedics were called to the scene (pictured) at 4.41pm Thursday and several are critical

Vince Harris, the manager of the Freechoice tobacconist at Flinders Street Station, was nearby in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

He was on the scene from about two minutes after the car collided and could see the cracked windscreen and Good Samaritans trying to save injured pedestrians.

'A few ladies were screaming but it was calm - there were no sirens, nothing,' Mr Harris said.

'I was here when the other one (the Bourke Street tragedy) happened …. you get desensitised.'

Irish demolition worker Paul Cahalane, 25, was walking to the gym - and en route to picking up some chocolate milk - via Flinders Street when he heard what sounded like a bomb.

'I was just going to get chocolate milk and I had my headphones in, music playing, scrolling Instagram when I just heard a bang, a bang behind me,' Mr Cahalane told Daily Mail Australia.

Another witness Lachlan Vella told Fairfax Media he saw a man dressed in a suit with his 'head busted open' as he was lying on the ground.

Mr Vella said another man 'had blood around his head and was snoring, like atonal breathing,' as a woman came in and out of consciousness.

Paul Cahalane, an Irish demolition worker on a visa, described hearing a bang behind him as he was walking to the gym

Vince Harris, the manager of the Freechoice tobacconist at Flinders Street Station, was near the crash aftermath (pictured)

The heart of Melbourne's CBD is in lock down after the car ploughed down a number of shoppers and commuters (pictured)

19 people were taken to hospital including a pre-school aged child with serious head injuries who is now in stable condition

'At this stage we believe it is a deliberate act, however we do not know the motivation,' Commander Russell Barrett (pictured) said

Police locked down vast areas of the city taking in Flinders Street, Flinders Lane and Elizabeth Street (pictured)

One witness's husband told Daily Mail Australia his wife was taken to Melbourne West with other onlookers to be interviewed

A number of injured were taken to the The Alfred Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent's Hospital and Royal Children's Hospital including the driver of the car (pictured) and a police officer

One witness's husband told Daily Mail Australia his wife had been taken to Melbourne West with other onlookers to be interviewed.

Police have locked down vast areas of the city taking in Flinders Street, Flinders Lane and Elizabeth Street.

A child at pre-school suffered head injuries and was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in a serious condition.

Three people were taken to The Alfred Hospital and three people were taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital but the extent of the injuries are unknown.

Witnesses told 9 News they saw the white SUV being driven at about 60km/h before it smashed into dozens of pedestrians.

Another witness told 3AW there were about 'five to seven people laying on the ground'.

More could have been injured if not for the vehicle crashing into a bollard at the tram stop out the front of Flinders Street Station.

Three people were taken to The Alfred Hospital and three people were taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital

Police said the driver of the car and a second man were arrested after what they believe was a 'deliberate' attack in the CBD

A child at pre-school suffered serious head injuries and was taken to Royal Children's Hospital (white SUV pictured)

More could have been injured if the white Suzuki did not crash into a bollard after about '15 seconds' of trauma

Lachlan Read, 20, told The Herald Sun the whole rampage lasted about 15 seconds.

'He has gone straight through the red light at pace and it was bang, bang, bang. It was just one after the other,' Mr Read said.

'There were bodies on the ground and people running up to them - it was mayhem.'

A childcare centre and other buildings along Flinders Street were evacuated.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the federal and state security agencies would work together to investigate the 'shocking incident'.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the emergency and health workers who are treating them,' Mr Turnbull tweeted.

The carnage comes almost a year after six people were killed and 30 injured when a car ploughed through the Bourke Street Mall only a few blocks away.

The driver, Dimitrious Gargasoulas, was charged with six counts of murder after he allegedly used a maroon mid-1990s Holden Commodore sedan to run down shoppers during their summer lunch break.

A child and two adults were amoung those who died following the attack as well as a three-month-old baby boy.

A childcare centre and other buildings along Flinders Street were evacuated shortly after the incident Thursday

A witness told Melbourne's 3AW radio station there were about 'five to seven people laying on the ground' (pictured)

'People were flying everywhere ... people running everywhere' a witness told the 3AW radio station on Thursday (pictured)