Several people died and others were injured on Saturday night after A driver rammed a crowd during a festival in the Canadian city of Vancouveraccording to local authorities.
The Vancouver police confirmed through a statement in X what “A number of people have died and multiple others were injured”. The driver was arrested and remains in custody, the authorities added.
The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. (03:00 GMT on Sunday) in the neighborhood Sunset on Fraserwhile members of the Philippine community gathered to celebrate the Lapu Lapu Dayaccording to the mayor of Vancouver, Ken Simin social networks.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with the Filipina community of Vancouver at this incredibly difficult time,” Sim wrote.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carneyhe also expressed his regret through a message in X: “I am devastated when listening to the horrible events at the Lapu Festival Lapu in Vancouver tonight. I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of the deceased and injured, to the Philippine-Canadian community and all in Vancouver. We are mourning with you. We are following the situation closely and grateful to our lifeguards for their rapid action. “
Also, the Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia, David Ebyexpressed in a message his shock and pain before the tragic event. Likewise, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singhhe sent their condolences to the victims and the Philippine community.
A security guard of the festival, Jen Idaba-Castanetohe told the local environment Vancouver Is Awesome That the scene was chaotic. “There were bodies everywhere. You didn’t know who to help, here or there. It is very shocking,” he described.
A witness reported CTV News that observed a black vehicle circulating erratically in the vicinity of the festival moments before the crowd was run over. As reported by Vancouver Sunthousands of people were in the area at the time of the incident.
“I could not see the driver, all I heard was the engine noise”, He declared Yoseb vardehoperator of a food truck, in an interview with Postmedia.
“I left my food truck, looked towards the street and saw corpses everywhere“Vardeh added.” The vehicle toured the entire block and headed directly to the center of the festival. “
Photographs disseminated by the station CBC They showed the presence of emergency teams on the scene, where large crowds had gathered earlier to participate in a parade, film projections, dances and a concert in which two members of Black Eyed Peas.
The festival, which commemorates the Filipino indigenous leader Lapulapuwho defeated the Portuguese explorer Fernando de Magallanes In 1521, he agreed this year with the weekend prior to federal elections in Canada.
(With information from AFP and EFE)
