The Vancouver Police Department said that a driver drove into the crowd at a festival on the streets of Vancouver after 8 p.m., causing at least nine deaths and dozens of injuries.

"The driver has been detained, and we will provide more information as the investigation progresses," the Vancouver Police Department said on X.

Source: citynews

"This is a tragic incident. All our police officers, medical personnel, firefighters, everyone is fully supporting the families and community members, and we will continue to do so throughout this entire ordeal as we piece together what happened here," explained Acting Chief of Police Steve Rai of the Vancouver Police Department.

Rai refused to disclose how the driver entered the street festival.

"All events held in Vancouver (about 3000 annually) are rigorously assessed. This is a process for the entire city of Vancouver - fire services, police, traffic control, and all stakeholders are involved. Therefore, we are still investigating where the blockade was missed and how this vehicle managed to get through," he added.

Witnesses at the scene said that their daughter was helping operate a food cart at the Lapu Lapu Festival when it happened.

They said that when a black SUV driver charged into the crowd, hitting more than a dozen people near East 43rd Street and Fraser Street, screams erupted from the crowd.

The individual mentioned that multiple people were receiving CPR, and the SUV driver attempted to exit the vehicle and flee on foot. They stated that the driver was subdued by several people at the scene until the police arrived.

Source: citynews

Abigail told reporters that she and her friends were near John Oliver Secondary School when they heard the sound of a car engine roaring.

"Then we heard someone shouting. We heard 'bang, bang, bang,' and when we looked, I saw someone lying in the street, so I called 911."

"Everyone was panicking. When I approached the scene of the car crash, I saw more injured people, some already dead. Severed limbs, body parts scattered everywhere, about 20 or 30 people injured or dead," Abigail said.

Abigail said the airbags had deployed, but the driver was nowhere to be seen. She mentioned that one person she spoke with saw the driver in a white T-shirt jump over the fence.

Source: citynews

"When I got there, the car was already parked, and the driver's door was open, but the driver wasn't there."

She explained that it felt like 5 or 10 minutes before the police and ambulances arrived. The scene was chaotic.

Abigail didn't know how the car and driver entered the area where the food carts were located, which was barricaded. So, you had to go through the alley to reach that street.

Another witness said she and a few friends were sitting eating when they suddenly heard a loud "bang."

"It was terrifying. Even after the incident, we were still shaken. Ambulances and stretchers were brought out, and I saw a child being carried on a stretcher. It was really heartbreaking. I didn't have time to figure out what kind of car it was because it happened in an instant. The speed was really fast."

Social media footage showed victims and debris scattered along a long stretch of road, with dozens of people lying motionless on the ground.

Photos from the scene show a black Audi SUV with its front end crushed.

A video from the scene shows a person lying under a food cart, no longer alive, with someone in the background shouting to paramedics, "There’s a baby, there’s a baby under the food cart!"

Peter Fry, a city councilor in Vancouver, said he heard that the perpetrator intentionally drove into the crowd.

He said that such a tragedy is something Vancouver has never experienced before; it hasn't happened during his time as a city councilor or in his memory as a resident.

Source: citynews

Fry added, "This is something we haven't experienced before... It's terrible."

The British Columbia Emergency Health Services agency posted on social media that response times across the Lower Mainland were delayed due to the incident in Vancouver.

"If you're unsure whether you need medical attention tonight, please call 811. Thank you for your patience as we prioritize responding to those in greatest need," the post read.

Don Davies, a federal New Democratic Party candidate in the local area, had just attended a music festival a few hours earlier. He told CityNews that this incident was shocking and horrifying.

"The morning activities were full of joy and celebration. Thousands of people gathered to celebrate Filipino culture. I am deeply shocked, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the victims and their families, as well as those who were injured. I am trying to process this, as it happened in Vancouver-Kingsway, within my constituency," Davies said.

At the time of the incident, Davies was canvassing in his constituency.

"I saw ambulances and police cars speeding past. I quickly realized something major had happened because there weren't just three or four police cars, but also heavy-duty ambulances. I witnessed a devastating attack with many people injured," Davies said.

Davies expressed deep sympathy for the Filipino community, saying, "The Filipino community is one of the most vibrant and lovely communities in the Lower Mainland of Canada, but their celebration was disrupted by such a horrifying act. ... It makes me feel sick, and I pray for everyone in the Filipino community and the broader community."

"We will get through this, but right now, we are devastated and trying to understand what happened and make sense of it."

Harjit Sajjan, a former police officer and member of parliament, told CityNews that he couldn't believe what he read when he received news of the tragedy.

"I couldn't believe it was true. ... It's a family matter, and I can't imagine what those people witnessed; what they are going through, the families of the victims. I just want these families to know that we are here to support them. This is the only reason I'm here. I have full confidence in the Vancouver Police Department, having been a member myself, and they will uncover the truth and provide all necessary information. For now, it's about showing our concern to the community."

Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party, issued a statement late Saturday night, "I am deeply saddened to hear about the terrible incident that occurred earlier today at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver."

In a social media post shared on X, Carney wrote, "I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, the Canadian Filipino community, and everyone in Vancouver. We mourn with you."

"He added: 'We are closely monitoring the situation and are grateful for the swift action taken by our first responders."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498033560054530595/

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