At the least 9 individuals have been killed after a automotive was pushed right into a crowd at a avenue pageant in Vancouver, police have confirmed.
Authorities within the western Canadian metropolis stated “a number of others” have been injured throughout the incident, which occurred at roughly 20:14 native time on Saturday (03:14 GMT on Sunday).
A 30-year-old male suspect is in custody and the Vancouver Police Division stated it was “assured that this incident was not an act of terrorism”. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Police stated the suspect had pushed into pedestrians on the annual Lapu Lapu pageant, which celebrates Filipino tradition, at East forty third Avenue and Fraser within the south of town.
Steve Rai, Vancouver Police’s interim chief, instructed a information convention that there had been one automobile and one suspect concerned within the incident. He stated extra particulars can be launched within the morning.
The proprietor of a meals truck promoting bao buns on the pageant, Yoseb Vardeh, instructed the BBC World Service that the assault occurred proper in entrance of his van.
“This man, he killed a few of my clients,” he stated. “There was individuals ready for his or her buns that bought hit.”
Mr Vardeh added: “I stepped exterior of my meals truck and I simply noticed our bodies beneath individuals’s meals vans, husbands crying out for his or her wives or their youngsters… it was simply horrible.”
Unverified footage posted on social media confirmed a lot of police vehicles, ambulances and hearth engines on the scene, with injured individuals mendacity on the bottom.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated in a press release on X that he was “devastated to listen to in regards to the horrific occasions”.
He continued: “I provide my deepest condolences to the family members of these killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian group, and to everybody in Vancouver. We’re all mourning with you.”
He additionally thanked emergency responders for his or her “swift motion”. The Liberal Get together, of which he’s the chief, later confirmed his marketing campaign occasions forward of Monday’s nationwide election can be paused on Sunday morning in gentle of the tragedy.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim stated he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident”, including in a put up that his “ideas are with all these affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino group throughout this extremely tough time.”
One in all Vancouver’s metropolis councillors, Peter Fry, instructed the BBC that native residents have been struggling to course of what had occurred.
“This celebration was an enormous, enjoyable, vibrant, family-orientated avenue social gathering, and it was a unbelievable occasion. To see it flip so horrible so shortly and unexpectedly has, I feel, our whole metropolis is in shock,” he stated.
Harjit Sajjan, who represented Vancouver South as a Liberal MP however just isn’t looking for re-election this 12 months, described occasions as “completely tragic” and stated he can be supporting “the group as greatest as we are able to.”
Lapu Lapu Day is well known yearly within the Philippines on 27 April to commemorate Lapu-Lapu, a nationwide hero who resisted Spanish colonisation.
The pageant was formally arrange in Vancouver – which is dwelling to 141,230 Canadians of Filipino descent – in 2023. Its web site says it “symbolises the cultural concord and mutual respect that thrive within the province of British Columbia”.
Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr stated he was “shattered to listen to in regards to the horrible incident”, including that the Philippine consulate basic would work with Canadian authorities to make sure the tragedy was completely investigated.
King Charles III, who can also be head of state of Canada, stated he and Queen Camilla have been “profoundly saddened to be taught of the dreadful assault and totally tragic lack of life in Vancouver”.
He added in a press release: “Our hearts and prayers exit to all these whose lives have been shattered by such a determined tragedy and we ship our deepest potential sympathy at a most agoinising time for thus many in Canada.”
Leaders of various Canadian political events have additionally shared messages of condolence.
Pierre Poilievre, chief of Canada’s Conservative Get together, referred to as the incident a “mindless assault”, whereas the chief of the British Columbia New Democratic Get together, David Eby, stated he was “shocked and heartbroken”.
New Democratic Get together chief Jagmeet Singh – who had attended the pageant however was not current when the incident occurred – stated he was “horrified to be taught” that harmless individuals had been killed and injured.
“As we wait to be taught extra, our ideas are with the victims and their households – and Vancouver’s Filipino group, who have been coming collectively at present to rejoice resilience,” he added.
Singh, Poilievre and Carney are all operating in Canada’s federal election on Monday. Singh’s constituency of Burnaby Central lies simply east of the place the incident happened.
