Canada: Nine killed after man drives into crowd at street festival in Vancouver

Nine persons were killed and several others were injured in Canada’s Vancouver city after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd at a street festival on Saturday.

The police in the western Canadian city said that the incident took place shortly after 8 pm, when the man drove his car through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu festival at East 43rd Avenue and Fraser in the south of Vancouver. The Filipino festival commemorates Lapu Lapu, a military leader who resisted Spanish colonisation in the 16th century.

“As of now, we can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night’s Lapu Lapu Festival,” the police said on X. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.”

The police also said that a 30-year-old man was arrested at the scene.

“At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” it added.

Following the incident, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver”.

In a post on X, he said: “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 are all mourning with you.”

Carney also thanked...

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