A “number of people have been killed” after a car was driven into a crowd in the Canadian city of Vancouver, local police have said.
Vancouver Police said “multiple others” were injured during the incident, which occured shortly after 20:00 local time on Saturday (03:00 GMT Sunday) at a street festival.
The force said a 30-year-old suspect was in custody. It is not yet known how many people have been killed.
Police said the driver drove into pedestrians at the annual Lapu Lapu festival, which celebrates Filipino culture, at East 41st Avenue and Fraser, in the south of Vancouver.
“We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds,” the police statement continued.
Unverified footage posted on social media showed a number of police cars, ambulances and fire engines at the scene, with injured people lying on the ground.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement on X that he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver”.
He continued: “I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you.”
He also thanked emergency responders for their “swift action”.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident”, adding in a post that his “thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
The leaders of different political parties have also been sharing messages of condolence.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, called the incident a “senseless attack”, while the leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, David Eby, said he was “shocked and heartbroken”.
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh – who had attended the festival but was not present when the incident occurred – said he was “horrified to learn” that innocent people had been killed and injured.
“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,” he added.
Singh, Poilievre and Eby are all running in Canada’s federal election on Monday. Singh’s constituency of Burnaby Central lies just east of where the incident took place.
