Several people lost their lives and multiple others were injured when a driver ploughed into a crowd during a street festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver, according to local police.
The Vancouver Police posted an update on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Several people have been killed and multiple others are injured.”
Authorities confirmed that the driver was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
The tragedy unfolded as members of the Filipino community gathered to mark Lapu Lapu Day, a historic celebration.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim expressed his condolences on social media, offering support to those affected and emphasising solidarity with Vancouver’s Filipino community.
Police reported that the crash occurred around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday (3 a.m. GMT Sunday) in the Sunset on Fraser neighbourhood.
Photographs shared by Canadian broadcaster CBC depicted emergency responders at the scene, alongside images of large crowds attending the block party earlier in the day.
Festival security guard Jen Idaba-Castaneto told local media outlet Vancouver Is Awesome that she witnessed “bodies everywhere” after the incident. “You don’t know who to help, here or there. It’s so shocking,” she recalled.
The Premier of British Columbia, David Eby, said he was “shocked and heartbroken” by the incident in a message posted on X.
The festival’s events included a parade, a film screening, dancing, and a concert, with two members of the Black Eyed Peas appearing as headliners, according to the event organisers.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, also extended his sympathies via social media, stating, “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families — and Vancouver’s Filipino community.”
Lapu Lapu Day honours Chief Lapulapu, a 16th-century indigenous leader renowned for defeating Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Battle of Mactan in 1521, a pivotal moment in resisting colonialism.
The devastating event comes nearly a year after Nathaniel Veltman, a Canadian, received a life sentence for the 2021 truck attack that killed a Muslim family in London, Ontario.
