https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...after-lorry-drives-into-crowd-in-nice-reports
The world is off its rocker......
The world is off its rocker......
A truck has crashed into a crowd gathered for France’s Bastille Day fireworks on the seafront of the southern city of Nice, French media have reported.
The sub-prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Sébastien Humbert, told French rolling news channel BFM TV: “The death toll is extremely high.”
He spoke of “maybe 30 dead in Nice” and 100 injured. He said a truck had ploughed into a crowd over a long distance on the beachfront Promenade des Anglais “which explains the extremely high toll”.
He added that there had been an exchange of gunfire and the truck driver had been killed. He described it as “a criminal event”. He told residents to avoid the centre of Nice.
Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native who spoke to the Associated Press near Nice’s seafront, said that he saw a truck drive into the crowd and then witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting. “There was carnage on the road,” Bouhlel said. “Bodies everywhere.”
The sub-prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Sébastien Humbert, told French rolling news channel BFM TV: “The death toll is extremely high.”
He spoke of “maybe 30 dead in Nice” and 100 injured. He said a truck had ploughed into a crowd over a long distance on the beachfront Promenade des Anglais “which explains the extremely high toll”.
He added that there had been an exchange of gunfire and the truck driver had been killed. He described it as “a criminal event”. He told residents to avoid the centre of Nice.
Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native who spoke to the Associated Press near Nice’s seafront, said that he saw a truck drive into the crowd and then witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting. “There was carnage on the road,” Bouhlel said. “Bodies everywhere.”
“People are running, it’s panic,” a local newspaper journalist from Nice-Matin was reported saying. “There is blood, no doubt injuries.”
Security forces and ambulances raced to the scene, and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors.
The Gendarmerie Nationale tweeted: “Emergency operation in progress. Keep calm and avoid downtown area. Follow the official accounts to be informed.”
Nice’s Promenade des Anglais is famed as a landmark and runs for some four miles.
It was busy with revellers celebrating and watching fireworks.
A reporter for the French news agency AFP described seeing a white vehicle driving at high speed on to the promenade as people were leaving after the annual Bastille Day celebration display.
“We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around,” he said, adding that the incident took place near the Hotel Negresco.
Terrified pedestrians screamed as they fled the area. “It was absolute chaos,” he said.
A huge security cordon was established, closing off the central Place Massena by 23.30 GMT, AFP added.
President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Christian Estrosi, tweeted that a “truck-driver appeared to have killed dozens of people”. He told Nice residents: “Stay at home”.
Security forces and ambulances raced to the scene, and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors.
The Gendarmerie Nationale tweeted: “Emergency operation in progress. Keep calm and avoid downtown area. Follow the official accounts to be informed.”
Nice’s Promenade des Anglais is famed as a landmark and runs for some four miles.
It was busy with revellers celebrating and watching fireworks.
A reporter for the French news agency AFP described seeing a white vehicle driving at high speed on to the promenade as people were leaving after the annual Bastille Day celebration display.
“We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around,” he said, adding that the incident took place near the Hotel Negresco.
Terrified pedestrians screamed as they fled the area. “It was absolute chaos,” he said.
A huge security cordon was established, closing off the central Place Massena by 23.30 GMT, AFP added.
President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Christian Estrosi, tweeted that a “truck-driver appeared to have killed dozens of people”. He told Nice residents: “Stay at home”.
Update:
60 dead now & counting, possibly over 100 injured.
60 dead now & counting, possibly over 100 injured.
I don't know yet, waiting to hear......the cops got into a shoot out & killed the driver, it could very well be a terrorist attack, but can't conclude that until its official.
France has been on alert for a terrorist attack for months, and officials have warned repeatedly that another attack is likely. Last November, attacks in and around Paris killed 130 people.
Yeah, this is looking like a terrorist attack, if so, much more effective. What's the next thing they will use that we won't see coming?
