MUMBAI: Even as a joint session of United States Congress was set to confirm that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had won the November presidential election on Wednesday, people around the world were shocked to see unprecedented scenes of arson and rioting at the Capitol Building.

As thousands of pro-Donald Trump supporters already angered by Trump's electoral loss to his Democratic opponent Biden were receding from a rally addressed by Trump earlier at the Ellipse grounds south of White House, they assembled near the Capital steps raising banners and poster and shouting slogans.

By 1 am local time the mobs began to violently clash with the United States Capitol Police (USCP) who were resisting their advance, and very soon they breached the security barriers and scaled the walls to enter the building in large numbers.

Once inside the rampaging rioters ransacked and damaged lot of office furniture and office equipment and took over several chambers and offices in the Capitol building including the Senate Chamber and the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some of the rioters were also seen squatting on the Senate floor. 

As the mob of rioter broke in, the congressional certification of the presidential election results was halted and every one including the Vice President Mike Pence along with other members of Congress and staff were rushed out in an emergency evacuation. 

The ransacking and vandalising inside the Capitol building went on for several hours before the National Guards were called in and the situation was brought under control. The violent siege finally ended with the death of four rioters, including a woman (later identified as 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, a California native and Air Force veteran) and one Capitol Police officer. 

Hundreds of thousands of Trump supporters from around the country had begun descending at the Ellipse 52-acre park, which is north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall in Washington DC for the 'Save America Rally' called by Trump. The current president virtually instigated the crowd to march towards the Capitol for overturning the election results, in what he called his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "show strength" and "fight like hell". 

After the address the over charged crowd moved from the grounds and marched towards the eastern end of the National Mall and assembled at the Capital building and very soon they breached it leading to the hours long siege.  

Scenes of the arson and attack were seen on television leaving the world shocked, Trump came under heavy criticism and worldwide condemnation and led to calls for Trump to be impeached or declared unfit as president. Most social media including Facebook and Twitter blocked his account.

The unprecedented storming of the US Capitol event on Wednesday was the first time the Capitol had been overrun by a hostile force since the 1814, Burning of Washington by the British during the War of 1812.