A car mowed down a crowd of Espanyol fans during their La Liga clash against Barcelona on Thursday night, with several people injured in the terrifying incident. Several supporters were run over by a white vehicle outside the RCDE Stadium, and the chaotic scenes prompted riot police to intervene.

The car accelerated into the hundreds of gathered supporters as onlookers panicked, with a horde of riot police chasing after it. The authorities were filming some fans and hitting others with batons as they aggressively push to clear the area. Local police later confirmed that 13 individuals had been injured during the grim events, but none were considered to be in serious condition.

"Several people injured near Espanyol stadium after being hit by a vehicle," a statement from the Police of Catalonia read.

"The situation is controlled, and in no case does it pose a risk to people inside the sports venue.

"The injured people are being treated by emergency services and the driver of the vehicle has been arrested. There is a large police presence in the area."

A further statement shared that three people in "mild condition" were receiving treatment at the Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Hospital (a children's hospital).

Two other hospitals have housed four more supporters, who are in "less serious condition". Five were treated at the scene, with another quickly discharged after some medical attention.

Despite there being an arrest, the reasoning for the sickening collision hasn't yet been confirmed. However, the president of the Catalonia government, Salvador Illa, played it down as an accident.

Illa said in a statement: "It was an accident, there were some injuries, none serious, fortunately.

"The security and assistance services reacted quickly, and the spokesperson for the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) has provided explanations to various media outlets, as far as I know, and therefore, there is no major incident to regret."

Referee Cesar Soto Grado temporarily halted play after news of the incident filtered within the walls of the RCDE Stadium.

Some fans inside the ground allegedly wanted the game to be cancelled, with several players in communication with those in the home end behind the goal.

But after Soto Grado spoke to both benches, the match resumed two minutes later. A PR system reportedly assured supporters there had been no serious injuries or fatalities.

Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez's goals secured a 2-0 victory in the local showdown, confirming a 28th La Liga title and the domestic treble.