AN EXPLOSION at Frankston shopping centre in Melbourne has sparked a major evacuation after onlookers heard "several bangs".
Christmas shoppers were evacuated from the busy mall at around 6:30pm local time (7:30am UK time) following the apparent blast.
The incident came two hours after a car ploughed into pedestrians on Flinders Street, injuring at least 14 people, several of them critically.
Police described the crash as a "deliberate act", but said there is no evidence to suggest a link with terrorism at this stage.
The evacuation from the mall sparked panic as witnesses fled from the scene fearing the worst.
But officials said the incident was unrelated to the crash on Flinders Street, one of Melbourne's most popular tourist areas.
An eyewitness told radio station 3AW: "There were three loud bangs. There were flames. People were running everywhere."
Twitter user @omg_beccy_d wrote: "Crowds just came running out of Bayside shopping centre in Frankston.
"Someone said explosion in Target. I'm in an outside shop."
@IndiBlu added: "The whole place shook. I heard four big bangs. Thought it was a truck hitting a wall. The windows shook. I'm a bit shaky. What's going on?"
Victoria's County Fire Authority confirmed it was responding to a fire triggered by a gas explosion at the shopping centre.
A spokesman said: "A number of forklift gas cylinders are involved in the fire.
"There is currently no threat to the community, but you should continue to stay informed and monitor conditions."
Shoppers have since been let back into the mall, and no one is believed to have been injured by the blast.
Witnesses earlier described "people flying everywhere" as a white Suzuki Vitara 4x4 was driven at crowds outside Flinders Street station.
Police said the driver was a 32-year-old Australian man of Afghan descent with a history of drug use and mental health issues.
Police commander Russell Barrett said: "Police arrived at the scene within minutes and arrested two men.
"At this stage we have 14 people injured and several are critical.
"At this stage we believe it is a deliberate act, however we do not know the motivation and it is still the early stages of the investigation.
"Police and emergency service will remain on scene for the foreseeable future. The crime scene will be in place for a considerable amount of the time."