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1st victim of Melbourne car attack dies after 8 days in hospital

Xinhua,December 30, 2017 Adjust font size:

CANBERRA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- An 83-year-old grandfather has become the first person to die as a result of a car ramming attack in the Central Business District (CBD) of Australia's Melbourne in December.

The family of Antonios Crocaris confirmed on Saturday morning that the man died late on Friday night, becoming the first fatality of the Melbourne attack that saw 18 people injured.

Crocaris was left in a critical condition when Saeed Noori, 32, drove his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) into a crowd of pedestrians on Melbourne's Flinders Street on the afternoon of Dec. 21.

Noori has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder, one of which is expected to be upgraded to murder following Crocaris' death.

In a statement released by Victoria police, Crocaris' family paid tribute to an "irreplaceable" man whose life was lost in a "senseless act of violence."

"Our father Anton had his life cruelly taken away in a senseless act of violence," the statement said.

"These circumstances are devastating to our family. Dad is simply irreplaceable and we will never fully recover from this loss."

"He was a beloved husband of Elizabeth (dec), adored father of Freda, Tony and Bill, and cherished grandfather of Verity, Lysander and Jackson."

Six people remain in hospital having sustained injuries in the attack.

Noori fronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday where a judge was told that he was suffering from psychiatric issues.

Prosecutors alleged that "the accused deliberately drove a motor vehicle into pedestrians crossing the road at the intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the Melbourne CBD, with the intention of killing or causing really serious injury to as many people as possible."

He will appear in court again in May. Enditem