Vehicle crashes into crowd celebrating President-elect Boakai's triumph in Liberia election

Multiple people were harmed and there are concerns of fatalities in Liberia after a vehicle crashed into supporters of President-elect Joseph Boakai. The police have classified the incident as an "accident," whereas Boakai's Unity Party (UP) has referred to it as a "barbaric act of domestic terrorism." This incident occurred shortly after Liberia's electoral body declared Boakai as the winner of the recent presidential election. Earlier, President George Weah had emphasized the need for unity in his concession speech. The election was very close, with a marginal difference of approximately 20,000 votes between the two candidates. On Monday evening, Boakai's supporters were celebrating outside the UP headquarters in the capital city of Monrovia. Reports vary regarding the timing of the incident, but witnesses claim that it occurred between 21:00 and 23:00 local time. According to UP spokesman Mohammed Ali, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and struck the supporters. The driver reportedly left the vehicle near the party offices and fled the scene. A manhunt has been initiated by the police. The enraged bystanders set the vehicle on fire. Eyewitnesses initially believed the incident was caused by a brake failure, but the driver's evasive actions raised suspicions of a premeditated attack. The police released a statement, referring to the incident as an "accident incident," urging UP supporters to remain calm during the ongoing investigation. The police reported that 16 individuals were injured, with two in an unconscious state and receiving medical attention. UP chairman Luther Tarpeh confirmed two deaths and stated that four others were in critical condition. In an earlier statement, the UP denounced the incident as a "devastating, wicked and barbaric act of domestic terrorism that resulted in the loss of precious lives." This incident follows an election that was mostly peaceful, apart from isolated violence in four provinces. The UP has announced the cancellation of all celebratory gatherings until further notice.