Europe • News

86 dead after truck strikes crowd at Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France

July 14, 2016
PawPrintAndrew
3 Min Read
Over 80 dead after truck struck a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France.

84 people, including children and foreign nationals, are dead after a truck struck a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France. According to the French Health Ministry, 303 patients were admitted to hospitals with 18 in critical condition and another 26 in intensive care.

Seven people have been arrested in relation to the attack, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The incident occurred near the Promenade des Anglais running along the city’s southern coast at around 10:30 p.m. local time. The white truck mounted the sidewalk at approximately 40 mph and steered directly towards men, women, and children over a stretch of around a mile. According to the Amaq news agency, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

The truck eventually stopped after someone jumped onto the side of it and police fired multiple bullets into the truck’s windscreen. The attacker eventually emerged from the vehicle, spraying bullets into the crowd, before being neutralized by police.

It emerged Friday morning that the attacker, believed to be a 31-year-old French-Tunisian national, used a rented truck to commit the attack. According to Paris’ prosecutor Francois Molin, the attacker was known to police for violence, and the use of weapons, but wasn’t directly linked to terrorism.

“He was known to the police for violence, and using weapons, but had no direct links with terrorism,” according to an investigating source. “His identity card was found in the truck. He had French and Tunisian nationality.”

Bastille Day, otherwise known as the French National Day, is equivalent to the U.S.’ Fourth of July.

Facebook has activated its Safety Check feature to those potentially affected by the attack, and taxis are waiving fees to evacuate those in the immediate area. AT&T, , Sprint, and T-Mobile have all waived their fees until at least July 16 to those affected by the attack.

Hollande returned to Paris for a crisis call on the attack, and announced plans to extend the country’s state of emergency by another three months, and will send a bill to Parliament to make it law.

“I have directed my team to be in touch with French officials, and we have offered any assistance that they may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack,” said President Obama in a statement released by the White House.

An emergency contact number has been set up for anyone who may have loved ones caught up in the attack in Nice: Call +33493722222 (011 33 493 722222 from inside the U.S.)

Three days of national mourning will be held starting July 17

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