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Marseille crash: Woman dead after car ploughs into two bus stops in French city

At least one woman has been killed after a car ploughed into two bus stops in separate parts of Marseille, French police said.

Another person was injured in the two crashes, which happened in the southern port city on Monday morning.

The driver of the car, a 35-year-old man, was arrested by police in the Old Port area.

The car hit the first bus shelter at around 8.15am (7.15am UK time) in the northern part of the city, injuring a man.

French police secure the area in Marseille. (REUTERS)
French police secure the area in Marseille. (REUTERS)

An hour later the car hit a second bus shelter, several miles south of the first crash, killing a woman.

"At the moment we have no information on the motives of this individual," a police source said.

A French criminal police officer watches forensic police as they search the site. (AFP/Getty Images)
A French criminal police officer watches forensic police as they search the site. (AFP/Getty Images)

Police are telling people to avoid the Old Port area of the city, where the driver was arrested.

The suspect is known to police for minor crimes and had psychological issues, a police source said later on Monday morning.

A Marseille police official had said that "given the times" terrorism cannot be excluded, but France's counter-terrorism prosecutor is not investigating.

Regional newspaper La Provence and BFM-TV say at least one woman has died.

It comes as officials in Europe are on high alert after two terror attacks in Spain last Thursday.

A van killed 13 people after ploughing through pedestrians along popular Barcelona tourist spot Las Ramblas, before another car attack killed a woman in Cambrils several hours later.

Police are still hunting for the 22-year-old driver of the van which mowed down people in Barcelona.

It is thought the suspect could have fled out of the country.