By Harshita Meenaktshi and Chris Helgren
VANCOUVER – At least nine people were killed when a man drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival in Vancouver on Saturday evening, Canadian police said in an X post on Sunday.
Police said they had arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver man at the scene, who was “known” to them. The suspect was initially chased down and held by people at the scene. A number of people were also injured.
“At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” Vancouver police said in an X post.
The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. (0300 GMT) near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero, was taking place.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X: “I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.”
Canada’s federal election takes place on Monday. Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim and British Columbia Premier David Eby posted similar comments on X.
RELATED: Car drives into crowd outside Seoul city hall, six dead
The government of British Columbia officially recognised April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck.
‘HORRIFIC’
CTV News said Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, was among the event attendees but left minutes before the vehicle arrived.
“This is so horrific. I don’t even know what to say,” CTV quoted Singh. “I was just there, and I just imagined the faces of the kids that I saw smiling and dancing.”
Another witness, who did not wish to be identified, said he had seen about 15 people lying on the ground after the dark SUV plunged into the crowd. The witness said the driver had tried to run but was chased down by festival-goers and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived.
Vancouver city councillor Peter Fry told CTV News he had also been at the event earlier in the day.
“This was a great day. A wonderful event. Huge community event. And to have it end in tragedy like this, it won’t break us or the community but it’s horrible,” he said.
The festival, celebrated especially in the central Philippines, honours Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
RELATED: Transnet strike: Acute shortage of basic commodities including food and fuel to hit Eswatini
The centrepiece of the festivities in Vancouver is a multi-block street party in the Sunset neighbourhood featuring Filipino food and traditions, live performances and cultural displays.
The Vancouver Sun said thousands of people had been in the area.
“I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev,” Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of food truck Bao Buns, said in an interview with Postmedia.
“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere,” said Vardeh, his voice breaking with emotion. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.” (Reuters)
