No less than 9 folks have been killed after a automobile was pushed right into a crowd at a avenue competition in Vancouver, police have confirmed.
Authorities within the western Canadian metropolis mentioned “a number of others” have been injured throughout the incident, which occurred at roughly 20:14 native time on Saturday (03:14 GMT on Sunday) at a avenue competition.
Police mentioned a 30-year-old male suspect was in custody and that they have been “assured that this incident was not an act of terrorism”. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Police mentioned the suspect had pushed into pedestrians on the annual Lapu Lapu competition, which celebrates Filipino tradition, at East forty third Avenue and Fraser, within the south of Vancouver.
Steve Rai, Vancouver Police’s interim chief, advised a information convention that there had been one car and one suspect concerned within the incident. He mentioned extra particulars can be launched within the morning.
The proprietor of a meals truck promoting bao buns on the competition, Yoseb Vardeh, advised the BBC World Service that the assault occurred proper in entrance of his van.
“This man, he killed a few of my clients,” he mentioned. “There was folks ready for his or her buns that obtained hit.”
Mr Vardeh added: “I stepped exterior of my meals truck and I simply noticed our bodies beneath folks’s meals vehicles, husbands crying out for his or her wives or their children… It was simply horrible.”
Unverified footage posted on social media confirmed quite a few police automobiles, ambulances and fireplace engines on the scene, with injured folks mendacity on the bottom.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney mentioned in a press release on X that he was “devastated to listen to in regards to the horrific occasions on the Lapu Lapu competition in Vancouver”.
He continued: “I supply my deepest condolences to the family members of these killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian neighborhood, and to everybody in Vancouver. We’re all mourning with you.”
He additionally thanked emergency responders for his or her “swift motion”.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim mentioned he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident”, including in a put up that his “ideas are with all these affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino neighborhood throughout this extremely tough time.”
One in all Vancouver’s metropolis councillors, Peter Fry, advised the BBC that native residents have been struggling to course of what had occurred.
“This celebration was an enormous, enjoyable, vibrant, family-orientated avenue occasion, and it was a unbelievable occasion. To see it flip so horrible so shortly and unexpectedly has, I feel, our whole metropolis is in shock,” he mentioned.
Lapu Lapu Day is well known yearly within the Philippines on 27 April to commemorate Lapu-Lapu, a nationwide hero who resisted Spanish colonisation.
The competition was formally arrange in Vancouver in 2023. Its web site says it “symbolises the cultural concord and mutual respect that thrive within the province of British Columbia”.
Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr mentioned he was “shattered to listen to in regards to the horrible incident”, including that the Philippine consulate basic would work with Canadian authorities to make sure the tragedy was totally investigated.
Leaders of various Canadian political events have additionally shared messages of condolence.
Pierre Poilievre, chief of Canada’s Conservative Social gathering, known as the incident a “mindless assault”, whereas the chief of the British Columbia New Democratic Social gathering, David Eby, mentioned he was “shocked and heartbroken”.
New Democratic Social gathering chief Jagmeet Singh – who had attended the competition however was not current when the incident occurred – mentioned he was “horrified to study” that harmless folks had been killed and injured.
“As we wait to study extra, our ideas are with the victims and their households – and Vancouver’s Filipino neighborhood, who have been coming collectively in the present day to have a good time resilience,” he added.
Singh, Poilievre and Carney are all operating in Canada’s federal election on Monday. Singh’s constituency of Burnaby Central lies simply east of the place the incident befell.