VANCOUVER — A car driver plowed into festivalgoers in Canada, killing and injuring an unknown number of people at the event celebrating Filipino culture, police said.
The vehicle entered the street at 8:14 p.m. Saturday, where people were attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival, Vancouver police said in a social media post.
“Several people were killed and others injured after a driver plowed into a crowd,” police said. The exact number of dead or injured was not immediately available.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene, and the department’s Serious Crimes Section is leading the investigation, police said.
A Lapu Lapu Day festival was being held in a south Vancouver neighborhood. A video posted on social media showed victims and debris strewn across a long stretch of road, with at least seven people motionless on the ground. Photos from the scene showed a black pickup truck with a dented front end.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today’s Lapu Lapu Day event,” Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said in a social media post, adding that the city would provide more information when possible. “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney and other prominent Canadian politicians posted messages expressing shock at the violence, condolences for the victims, and support for the community celebrating its cultural heritage at the festival.
“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 grieve with you,” Carney wrote.
“As we wait to hear more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and with Vancouver’s Filipino community, who gathered today to celebrate resilience,” wrote Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, who had been at the festival earlier in the day.
“My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims of this senseless attack. Thank you to the emergency services on the scene while we wait to learn more,” wrote Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party.
David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, the province where Vancouver is located, said he was shocked and heartbroken. “We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any necessary support,” Eby wrote.