FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – A driver plowed into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, Canada, killing 11 people Saturday evening, police said Sunday.
Authorities warned the death toll could rise as dozens remain injured, some critically.
Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said the victims include “very young people” and described the incident as the “darkest day in Vancouver’s history.”
The suspect, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, was arrested at the scene.
The black SUV struck pedestrians near food trucks at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street.
The driver reportedly has a history of interactions with police and mental health professionals, Rai said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his shock in a social media post: “I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver.” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim also expressed his condolences, calling the incident “horrific.”
Lapu Lapu Day, named after a Filipino leader who resisted Spanish colonization, is celebrated by Vancouver’s Filipino community and was officially recognized by British Columbia in 2023. Philippine ambassador Maria Andrelita Austria called the attack a “senseless tragedy.”
An investigation is ongoing.