A number of people have been killed and several others injured after a car ploughed into a crowd at lapu lapu festival in Canada’s Vancouver on Saturday night (April 26), local police said.
“The driver is in custody. We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds,” said the Vancouver Police in a statement.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 am near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party was underway. Vancouver police confirmed that the driver involved is in custody and emphasised that the incident was not a hit-and-run.
A black SUV, which reportedly drove into the crowd, was seen beside a blue truck with a crushed bonnet, next to the crime scene, according to the video doing the rounds.
The police are yet to confirm the number of casualties. Videos that have emerged on social media from the scene show several bodies strewn across the street.
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck.
In a post on X, the Vancouver Police Department said, “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 am tonight. The driver is in custody. We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”
“I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening. 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. We are monitoring the situation closely, and thankful to our first responders for their swift action,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Authorities said further details would be shared as the investigation progresses. Videos posted on social media earlier in the evening showed emergency crews attending to several people lying on the ground, with some appearing seriously injured.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim also released a statement, saying he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by what he described as a “horrific incident” at the festival. “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed similar sentiments, posting on X that he was “shocked and heartbroken” to learn of the lives lost and the injuries sustained at the celebration. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also reacted, saying he was “shocked” by the “horrific news” and thanked first responders for their efforts at the scene, while offering support to the Filipino community and all those affected.
Meanwhile, several netizens are describing the incident as a terror attack, though authorities have not confirmed any motive yet.
Notably, a similar pattern has emerged in Europe, the US, and Canada, where vehicles have been used to target people in crowded places.
On this year’s New Year’s, a 42-year-old American man, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove his truck into a busy street in New Orleans where people had gathered to celebrate. He then got out and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuring 57 others.
The man was eventually shot dead, and an ISIS flag was recovered from his car. The FBI, calling it an act of domestic terrorism and said that Jabbar was inspired by ISIS.
Such attacks witnessed in western countries like Germany, UK, the US etc,have caused widespread fear among the public, prompting authorities to heighten security at public events and festivals.
The Lapu Lapu Day event, held for the second consecutive year in Vancouver, commemorates Lapu Lapu, an Indigenous resistance leader in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century, CBC News reported.
