Multiple dead, injured in Vancouver after vehicle plows into street festival

A number of people were killed and multiple others were injured in Vancouver after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a Filipino street festival in the western Canadian city, police said on Saturday.

Police said they were investigating a mass casualty incident and had arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver man at the scene, but did not immediately give the number of fatalities or injured, saying they would have more information in the morning.

“At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” Vancouver police said in an X post.

At a midnight press conference, police said that the suspect was “known” to them but did not elaborate. The man was initially taken into custody by people at the scene.

“There was a number of deceased, a number also injured. It would be unfair for me to speculate on exact numbers as the victims were taken to multiple hospitals in the region,” said Vancouver interim police chief Steve Rai.

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. 

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. 

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.”

Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim and British Columbia Premier David Eby posted similar comments on X.

One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck.

 Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, was among the attendees at the event, but left minutes before the vehicle arrived, CTV News said.

“This is so horrific, I don’t even know what to say,” CTV quoted Singh as saying. “I was just there, and I just imagine the faces of the kids that I saw smiling and dancing.”

Canada’s federal election takes place on Monday.

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 councilor 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, honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.

The centerpiece of the festivities in Vancouver is a multi-block street party in the Sunset neighborhood 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, as his voice broke. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”