Many killed after car rams crowd at festival in Vancouver, terror attack suspected

OTTAWA: Several people were killed after a car was driven over a crowd in Canada’s Vancouver. Unconfirmed reports said 16 people have died. The incident happened at around 8 pm local time during a street festival in the city of Vancouver. The accident happened as members of the Filipino community gathered in large numbers to celebrate Lapu Lapu Day in the city's Sunset on Fraser neighbourhood.

Police said the driver has been taken into custody and cannot say whether the incident was a terrorist attack at this time and more details will be revealed only after an investigation. However, reports indicate that the attack was planned. There are reports that the driver is Asian and appears to be mentally challenged. He is being grilled.

Several videos of the accident have surfaced on social media. A black SUV ploughed through the festival at speed, hitting many. The bodies are in a crushed state. Rescue operations are in progress. Eyewitnesses said that many including women and children, have been taken to hospital. Many of them are in critical condition. So, the death toll is likely to rise.

A witness to the accident said that hundreds of people were on the side of the road watching the street festival and that the car crashed into the crowd before it became clear what was happening. The front of the car was completely destroyed. In 2022, a car crashed into Freedom Convoy protesters in Winnipeg, Canada, injuring several people.