Several dead, wounded in Vancouver after vehicle plows into Filipino festival

(Forelines) – According to Police on Saturday, at least nine people were killed and over twenty others were wounded in Vancouver following a vehicle drove into a crowd at a Filipino street festival in Canadian western city.

Police stated they were investigating a mass fatality incident and had detained a 30-year-old Vancouver man at the site, but did not instantly provide the number of casualities nor wounded, mentioning they would have more detail in the morning.

During midnight press briefing, police stated that the accuse was “known” to them but did not explain. The man was originally taken into charge by people at the site.

The incident occured shortly following 8 p.m. (0300 GMT) near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, observing a Philippine national hero, was happening.

Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister posted on X: “I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.”

Ken Sim, Vancouver’s Mayor and David Eby, British Columbia Premier wrote similar responses on X.

One eyewitness said CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving unpredictably in the area of the festival just prior the mass was hit.

Leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party of Jagmeet Singh, was amongst the guests at the incident, but leave minutes prior the vehicle arrived, CTV news stated.

“This is so horrific, I don’t even know what to say,” CTV quoted Singh as saying. “I was just there, and I just imagine the faces of the kids that I saw smiling and dancing.”

On Monday, Canada’s federal election occurs.

The Vancouver Sun stated thousands of people had been in the region.

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

“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere,” stated Vardeh, as his voice broke. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”