The attack occurred in the Thurlow Gardens area of Hainault and the suspect was arrested 22 minutes after the first report of a vehicle crashing into a house.

The injuries sustained by the victims are not considered life-threatening.

Detectives are urgently investigating the motive behind the apparent random attack.

Ch Supt Stuart Bell of the Metropolitan Police appealed for patience as they work to determine the cause of a tragic incident involving a van colliding into a building, resulting in several fatalities.

The suspect, who is in custody on suspicion of murder, is currently unable to be interviewed due to injuries sustained in the collision.

There have been reports of the suspect's past police contacts, but the Met's assistant commissioner, Louisa Rolfe, urged against speculation until the investigation is complete.

The police are committed to providing answers as soon as possible.

The text reports that despite thorough checks, no prior incident involving the suspect has been found in the system.

Authorities are working to understand the circumstances of the incident, which is currently assessed as not terrorist-related.

The suspect is believed to have acted alone, and detectives are investigating if he has a history of mental ill health.