Vancouver vehicle crash kills 11 at festival as Zelenskyy offers condolences
Photo: The tragedy occurred at a festival in Vancouver (Art Candee / x.com)
The death toll from a vehicle crashing into people at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver has risen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, according to SkyNews and Zelenskyy's post.
According to the police, eleven people died during the festival in Vancouver. Earlier, it was reported that nine people had been killed by the SUV.
At a press conference on Sunday, Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Constable Steve Rai stated that dozens more people were injured, some with serious injuries. He also noted that the death toll could rise.
Rai added that he was confident the attack was not "an act of terrorism," but called the incident "the darkest day in our city's history."
"I can also tell you that the person we have in custody does have a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health," he said.
Zelenskyy's reaction
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy commented on the tragedy in Vancouver. In his post, he expressed condolences to the victims on behalf of Ukraine.
"On this sad day, Ukrainians deeply share the pain of Canadians, Vancouver residents, and the Canadian Filipino community. Our condolences to the victims' families, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. Stay strong, our friends in Canada and the Philippines," wrote the president.
The festival tragedy
In Vancouver, Canada, a vehicle crashed into a crowd during the Lapu Lapu Day festival, which honors the national hero of the Philippines.
Around 8:14 PM local time on Saturday, a black SUV drove into a crowd near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, injuring several people and causing fatalities.
Police have since reported that nine people died at the festival, with several others injured, though the exact number of injured remains unclear.
It was also reported that a 30-year-old suspect in the vehicle attack had been taken into custody. Witnesses held the suspect until the police arrived. The driver was known to law enforcement "in certain circumstances," though none of them were connected to terrorism.
