A tragic event unfolded during a celebration of Filipino heritage in Vancouver.
Reports indicate multiple fatalities after a vehicle drove into attendees at the Lapu Lapu street festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday night, according to police reports.
Authorities stated via X that several other pedestrians sustained injuries in the incident, which took place at the intersection of East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street. The driver is in police custody.
Police later identified the suspect as a 30-year-old Vancouver resident. The motivation for the incident remains unknown.
Local media outlets report that the victims were participants in the annual Lapu Lapu festival, a celebration of Filipino culture.
Initial reports of several killed and over a dozen injured, after an SUV plowed into a closed-off street filled with people celebrating the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, Canada.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender)
Social media videos depict ambulances and police vehicles at the scene, along with injured individuals on the ground. The footage also shows a damaged black SUV, allegedly involved in the collision.
🚨 : A tragic incident occurred at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party in Vancouver, Canada, when an SUV drove into a crowd of festivalgoers on a closed-off street near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street.
Reports indicate multiple fatalities and injuries, with estimates from…
— SyeClops (@SyeClops)
Video of the SUV that drove into the crowd of people in tonight at the Lapu Lapu Festival. Tragic news. There’s videos of the alleged suspect, I won’t be sharing those.
— Karm Sumal (@KarmSumal)
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim expressed his shock and sadness regarding the “horrific incident” at the festival on X. He extended his thoughts to those affected and to Vancouver’s Filipino community during this difficult time.
Prime Minister Mark Carney also conveyed his devastation about the event. He offered his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and thanked first responders for their quick response in a post on X.
A witness told the Vancouver Sun that there were bodies on the street who were run over, and some were already dead at the location. Another bystander indicated that children were among those injured.