Several killed as car rams into Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu festival crowd

According to police, a vehicle that struck a crowd at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver has caused several fatalities and injuries to several others.

The 30-year-old driver was taken into custody, according to police, and the incident occurred in the city’s Sunset on Fraser neighborhood shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday (32:00 GMT Sunday).

According to a witness who was present for the festival when he witnessed a black vehicle drive erratically in the area just before the crowd washed, Reuters news reported.

The chaotic aftermath was captured on video and posted on social media, with bodies lying on the side of the road as injured victims were rushed to help.

The hospital’s staff had been informed to expect large casualty arrivals after treating victims in a number of nearby hospitals. The Vancouver Sun reported that thousands of people were present in the area at the time of the attack.

After the car tore through the crowd, a food truck owner described scenes of destruction.

In an interview with Postmedia, Yoseb Vardeh, the co-owner of the food truck Bao Buns, said, “I didn’t get to see the driver; all I heard was an engine rev.”

As his voice sounded, “I went outside my food truck, I looked down the road, and there are just bodies everywhere.” He “went through the entire block,” he said. He sat straight in the middle.

Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, expressed his shock and sadness over the tragic incident at the Lapu Lapu Day event today.

A Filipino anti-colonial leader from the 16th century is honored at the festival.

In this extremely difficult time, Sim wrote, “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community.”

Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, expressed his shock at learning about the heinous incidents at the Lapu Lapu festival.

“I extend my sincere condolences to the families of those who have been killed and injured, to the Vancouver, Filipino, and Canadian residents. We are all grieving for you, he said, adding that the federal government was closely monitoring developments as the investigation progresses.