Crisis at the US Capitol: What we know so far

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of US President Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, US. [Reuters]

Riots at the US Capitol building that broke out on Wednesday have stunned the world.

Four people have died and 52 arrested, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in a bid to overturn the election results.

Here’s what we know so far:

Lawmakers have returned to the US Capitol to finish certifying Joe Biden's election victory, hours after Trump supporters stormed the building.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presides over the U.S. House of Representatives after they reconvened following protests at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. [Reuters]

The US Senate had earlier rejected objection to the Pennsylvania and Arizona presidential election results moved by allies of President Donald Trump.

The vote in the Congress was delayed by rioters who pushed their way into the US Capitol building.

A police officer detains a pro-Trump protester as mobs storm the U.S. Capitol, during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S. [Reuters]

US President-elect Joe Biden has since condemned the protests.

Biden said that for demonstrators to storm the Capitol, smash windows, occupy offices, invade the halls of Congress and threaten the safety of duly elected officials: “It’s not a protest, it’s insurrection.”

President Donald Trump who had urged the demonstrators to march on the Capitol, later called on them to "go home", while continuing to make false claims of electoral fraud.

Twitter, Facebook and Snap later froze Trump’s accounts on Wednesday, in a crackdown on his baseless claims about the U.S. presidential election.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump said that the storming of the building was a natural response. He also blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking “courage” to pursue the claims of election fraud.

Twitter would later take down the tweet.

Vice President Mike Pence condemned the violence at the Capitol on Wednesday. He tweeted:

We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms. We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our Capitol today.

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 7, 2021

Washington police have confirmed the deaths of four people and arrests of 52 others.

A D.C. Metropolitan Police officer is wheeled to an ambulance after supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump occupied the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S. [Reuters]

Officials say one woman was shot by police, while three others died as a result of "medical emergencies".

The riots attracted gunshots, broken glass, and a contingent of police officers outside the U.S Capitol.

A Trump supporter carries a podium around the U.S. Capitol after protesters breached the Capitol building during a joint session of Congress in Washington, DC. [Courtesy]

Protesters clash with police during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress. [Reuters]

(Compiled from Agencies)