Girl, 3, killed after tram and van crash in Manchester city centre

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A three-year-old girl has died after a crash involving a tram and a van in Manchester city centre.

The girl was taken to hospital after the incident close to the Manchester Art Gallery on Saturday morning, but later died from her injuries, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

“No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing,” the force said.

The crash, involving a Metrolink tram, is reported to have taken place on Mosley Street on Saturday morning.

Police said they were expecting the streets surrounding St Peter’s Square to be closed for a significant period, as officers attended the scene and sought to establish the circumstances around the crash.

The girl is believed to have been a pedestrian on Mosley Street and to have been struck by the van as it rebounded from the collision with the tram, Manchester Evening News reported.

The outlet reported that the tram involved appeared to have been travelling towards Manchester Airport from Victoria, while the van – a white Mercedes-Benz – looked to have suffered minor damage on the driver’s side.

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the little girl who sadly passed away following an incident in Manchester city centre today.

“We attended the scene at Mosley Street this morning at 9.58am, responding with two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, two air ambulance crews and several senior clinicians.”

Transport for Greater Manchester said no tram services were operating between St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens as a result of the crash, with several diversions in place as well as “severe delays on most lines”.

Inrix traffic monitoring service was quoted as saying: “Mosley Street in both directions partially blocked, slow traffic due to accident, tram and car involved from Charlotte Street to Nicholas Street.”