Police investigating a ‘mass casualty incident’ after a number of folks killed by automotive pushed into crowd in Canada
A number of folks have been killed when a driver ploughed a automotive right into a crowd at a avenue pageant on Saturday within the Canadian metropolis of Vancouver, local police said.
Vancouver Police say they’re investigating a “mass casualty incident” and {that a} 30-year-old man from Vancouver was arrested on the scene.
Police mentioned the incident passed off at East forty first Avenue and Fraser Road shortly after 20:00 native time (04:00 BST), as members of the Filipino neighborhood gathered to have a good time Lapu Lapu Day, an annual pageant placed on by British Columbia’s Filipino neighborhood that commemorates a Filipino anti-colonial chief from the sixteenth century.
Officers haven’t mentioned what the motive behind the incident was and are persevering with their investigation.
We predict to listen to extra from police in a media briefing later this morning. Stick with us for all the most recent developments.
Key occasions
Vancouver Police ‘assured incident was not act of terrorism’
In an update on X, Vancouver Police mentioned: “Right now, we’re assured that this incident was not an act of terrorism.” There’s presently no details about any doable motives behind the incident.
Suspect was ‘identified to police in sure circumstances’ – appearing police chief says
Right here is a few of what appearing police chief Steve Rai mentioned in a Vancouver Police information convention earlier. These quotes have been carried by BBC News. Rai mentioned:
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There are “a number of injured” and “a number of fatalities” following the incident.
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“There are nonetheless relations who have to be contacted.”
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He didn’t wish to be “unfair to households by placing out numbers that we aren’t even positive on but”.
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The 30-year-old suspect from Vancouver was “identified to police in sure circumstances”.
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The suspect was “taken into custody by folks within the crowd” earlier than police arrived on the scene.
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The Lapu Lapu Day celebration underwent a “sturdy safety evaluation” earlier than it was allowed to be placed on.
Group that hosted Lapu Lapu pageant says it’s ‘heartbroken by mindless tragedy’
In an announcement posted on Instagram, Filipino BC, the group that hosts the native Lapu Lapu Day pageant in Vancouver, mentioned it’s heartbroken on the “mindless tragedy” and is urging folks affected to entry psychological well being and sufferer help providers.
It wrote within the social media publish:
We’re nonetheless discovering the phrases to precise the deep heartbreak introduced on by this mindless tragedy. We’re devastated for the households and victims.
We encourage everybody to verify in, help and maintain one another. Don’t hesitate to entry sources out there. You aren’t alone.
Attendees of the Lapu Lapu celebrations have been giving accounts of what they noticed to the media.
One witness told CTV News he noticed a black automobile driving erratically within the space of the pageant simply earlier than the gang was struck.
Jagmeet Singh, chief of Canada’s New Democratic Social gathering, was among the many attendees on the occasion, however left minutes earlier than the automobile arrived, CTV information mentioned.
“That is so horrific, I don’t even know what to say,” CTV quoted Singh as saying. “I used to be simply there, and I simply think about the faces of the children that I noticed smiling and dancing.”
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh waves to the gang throughout a marketing campaign cease at a Lapu Lapu Day block celebration on 26 April 2025. {Photograph}: Darryl Dyck/AP
“As we wait to be taught extra, our ideas are with the victims and their households – and Vancouver’s Filipino neighborhood, who have been coming collectively in the present day to have a good time resilience,” BBC Information quoted Singh, who’s working in Canada’s federal election – which takes place on Monday, as saying.
Pageant safety guard Jen Idaba-Castaneto informed native information website Vancouver Is Superior that she noticed “our bodies all over the place”.
“You don’t know who to assist, right here or there,” she mentioned.
Conservative chief Pierre Poilievre has known as the incident a “mindless assault”, whereas the chief of the British Columbia New Democratic Social gathering, David Eby, mentioned he was “shocked and heartbroken”, including that his ideas have been with the victims and their family members.
Canadian PM Mark Carney says he’s ‘devastated’ about lethal incident
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has mentioned he’s “devastated” by the lethal incident that occurred in Vancouver’s Sundown on Fraser neighbourhood on Saturday.
In a post on X, Carney, who because the Liberal chief is within the midst of combating a basic election, wrote:
I’m devastated to listen to concerning the horrific occasions on the Lapu Lapu pageant in Vancouver earlier this night.
I supply my deepest condolences to the family members of these killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian neighborhood, and to everybody in Vancouver.
We’re all mourning with you. We’re monitoring the state of affairs intently, and grateful to our first responders for his or her swift motion.
Police investigating a ‘mass casualty incident’ after a number of folks killed by automotive pushed into crowd in Canada
A number of folks have been killed when a driver ploughed a automotive right into a crowd at a avenue pageant on Saturday within the Canadian metropolis of Vancouver, local police said.
Vancouver Police say they’re investigating a “mass casualty incident” and {that a} 30-year-old man from Vancouver was arrested on the scene.
Police mentioned the incident passed off at East forty first Avenue and Fraser Road shortly after 20:00 native time (04:00 BST), as members of the Filipino neighborhood gathered to have a good time Lapu Lapu Day, an annual pageant placed on by British Columbia’s Filipino neighborhood that commemorates a Filipino anti-colonial chief from the sixteenth century.
Officers haven’t mentioned what the motive behind the incident was and are persevering with their investigation.
We predict to listen to extra from police in a media briefing later this morning. Stick with us for all the most recent developments.
