A man drove a car into a crowd at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver at the weekend, killing 11 people and injuring more than 20 others, in what authorities described as a car ramming attack that shook the country ahead of federal elections.
The SUV entered the street on Saturday night and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival, the Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post.
A Vancouver man was arrested and authorities are still investigating the motive but police said have said they are confident it was not an act of terrorism.
“An investigation is ongoing to determine how and why this horrific attack occurred. Authorities have confirmed one person is custody and it is believed they acted alone,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney, who cancelled his first campaign event on the final day of the election campaign ahead of Monday’s vote.
Video of the aftermath shows the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the driver’s car is smashed in.
Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the SUV enter past the barricade slowly before the driver slammed on the accelerator in an area that was packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind.
