NICE (SW): Scores of people have been pronounced dead Thursday night when a large truck overran a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France.
The French authorities have confirmed at least 84 dead and over 100 injured. The driver first shot a gun into the crowd before driving two kilometers along the Promenade des Anglais, the main street in Nice, mowing down people who had gathered to watch fireworks, regional President Christian Estrosi told CNN affiliate BFM-TV.
Police shot and killed the driver, said Pierre-Henry Brandet, a spokesman for the French Interior Ministry. Police found firearms, explosives and grenades in the truck, Estrosi said.
"We cannot deny that it was a terror attack," Hollande said in a national television address. He added that the choice of the day — Bastille Day, when France celebrates its post-French Revolution republic — was particularly poignant.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility. Anti-terror prosecutors have taken over the investigation, according to BFMTV, citing the prosecutor's office.
Leaders around the world have denounced the brutal incident.
Authorities are attempting to determine whether the identity card of a 31-year-old French-Tunisian found in the truck cab matches the body of the driver in the attack, according to a police source cited by AFP. The driver was a Nice resident, according to the Nice Matin newspaper.
France had put intense security in place for Euro 2016, the international soccer tournament that just ended. No major attacks occurred during the event.
Nice is on the Mediterranean, about 930 kilometers (580 miles) from Paris. The attack happened just as the firework display – which was attended by thousands of people – was ending, at around 11:00pm local time (21:00GMT).
ENDS
