MULTIPLE people have been killed after a car ploughed into a crowd at a festival in Vancouver.
The driver was arrested shortly after the black SUV hit revellers at 8pm local time, cops said.
A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured, police said.
The exact number of dead or injured currently remains unknown.
Horror footage showed victims and debris strewn across the road – with at least seven people lying on the ground.
Other clips appear to show fellow festival-goers trying to help those on the floor.
Emergency services are working at the scene following the harrowing incident.
A black Audi with a mangled bonnet was seen in the street outside a food truck.
It happened as members of the Filipino community had gathered to celebrate Lapu Lapu Day, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said.
The festival commemorates a Filipino anti-colonial leader from the 16th century.
Sim said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck.
Thousands of revellers had been in the area when the car ploughed into crowds.
One eyewitness whose food truck was the event, Yoseb Vardeh, recalled to Postmedia: “I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev.
“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere.
“He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”
The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, expressed his shock and sadness regarding the tragic events that took place at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver.
According to a statement from the Vancouver Police, a driver intentionally drove into a crowd at a street festival located at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser, resulting in several casualties and numerous injuries.
“The driver is in custody.
“We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada’s New Democracy Party, who was present at the festival before the tragic incident occurred, has also conveyed his horror and sorrow upon learning about the loss of innocent lives and the injuries sustained.
He added: “As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families – and Vancouver’s Filipino community, who were coming together today to celebrate resilience.”
In 2022, a driver ploughed into a crowd of Freedom Convoy protesters in Winnipeg, Canada – injuring four before fleeing the scene.
Dashcam footage of the incident shows the white Jeep striking the protesters – who were showing support for anti-Covid-mandates protests in Ottawa and elsewhere in the country.
