Police said several people were killed and several others were injured after the driver struck a crowd at a Canadian street festival.
The Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post that the vehicle entered the street on Saturday at 8:14pm local time.
“A lot of people were killed and several other people were injured after the driver drove into the crowd,” police said. The exact number of deaths or injuries was not immediately available.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man has been arrested at the scene, with the department’s main crime department overseeing the investigation, police said.
The festival was held near South Vancouver. Videos posted on social media show that victims and wreckage scattered over the long road are not immobilized on the ground. In still photos of the scene, a black SUV is seen with a crumpled front section.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrifying incident at today’s Lapu Lapu Day event,” Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said in a social media post, adding that the city will provide as much information as possible. “Our idea lies in all the people affected and the Filipino community in Vancouver during this incredibly difficult time.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian politicians have posted messages shocking the violence, expressing their sadness towards the victims and supporting the community celebrating its legacy at the festival.
“I am all mourning with you to the loved ones of those killed and wounded, to the Canadian community in the Philippines and to everyone in Vancouver,” writes Carney.
“While we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and the Filipino community in Vancouver, whom we were gathering today to celebrate resilience,” wrote Jagmeet Singh, the new Democratic leader at the festival earlier that day.
“My thoughts are the Philippine community and all the victims who have been targeted by this pointless attack. I would like to thank the first responders on the scene while we wait for more.”
David Ebby, British Columbia premier for Vancouver’s state, said he was shocked and heartbroken. “We are in touch with the city of Vancouver and will provide the support we need,” Eby writes.
Our journalists are working on this story and will update as soon as more information becomes available.
