At least nine people were killed and several others were seriously injured after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd celebrating the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver, Canada. "Code orange" has been issued by the Vancouver Coastal Health authority. This alert was issued after a mass casualty was reported and needs extra support. The code set by the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services shows the seriousness of the event.
The incident took place at around 8 PM (Vancouver local time) near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street. The police arrested the accused driver following the tragedy. Vancouver Police informed about the incident in an X post, saying more information will be provided after the investigation.
"A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight. The driver is in custody. We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds," said police in a post on X.
At the time of the accident, the Filipino heritage festival 'Lapu Lapu' was underway in South Vancouver. The Police have ruled out terrorism act in the incident. "At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism."
The police have established a 24-hour assistance centre at the Douglas Park Community Centre to help victims and issued a helpline number. "A 24-hour assistance centre has been established at the Douglas Park Community Centre, 801 West 22nd Avenue. Vancouver Police officers and Victim Services professionals have been deployed to help anyone who has not been able to contact a loved who was at the Lapu Lapu Festival. If you are not able to attend in person, please call 604-717-3321."
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Videos shared on social media show emergency services are responding to the incident. Several injured people, including bodies lying on the ground, were injured after the accident. A damaged SUV that drove into the crowd and killed at least nine individuals were also seen with damage from the front.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his grief over the Vancouver street festival accident. "I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening. I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you," he said in a post on X.