Nine people are dead and 16 injured after a van struck pedestrians in Toronto, police have said.

Officers said the driver is in custody after the van apparently mounted the pavement in the north-central part of the Canadian city.

Deputy Police Chief Peter Yuen could not provide any possible cause or motive. He said the investigation is continuing.

A witness, Phil Zullo, told Canadian Press that he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a Ryder rental truck and saw people “strewn all over the road”.

“It must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers,” Mr Zullo said. “It was awful. Brutal.”