Update 15/07/16 1:06pm:
The death toll has risen to 80 as police and emergency workers continue to work through the night after a “terrorist” truck attack in Nice, France.
French President Francois Hollande addressed the nation at 4am local time, confirming at the time that 77, including children, had been confirmed dead (this number has since increased). At least 20 people are currently in critical condition.
Hollande, who described the attacks as of a “terrorist character”, has declared an extended state of emergency, after the current one following the November 2015 attacks in Paris was due to end on July 26.
France has been struck on the day of her national holiday – the 14th of July, Bastille Day – the symbol of liberty, because human rights are denied by fanatics and France is clearly their target.
There’s no denying the terrorist nature of this attack of yet again the most extreme form of violence.
We have seen extreme violence and it’s obvious we must do everything to fight this terrorism. Following this, we will show real force and military action in Syria and Iraq.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying scenes as the truck driver drove the vehicle into the crowds of people, including children, gathered to watch fireworks in celebration of the French holiday.
Journalist Damien Allemand says he saw “bodies flying like bowling pins” and “heard noises, cries that I will never forget”, reports the Daily Mail.
Another bystander told BFM TV: ‘Everyone was calling run, run, run there’s an attack run, run, run. We heard some shots. We thought they were fireworks because it’s the 14th of July. There was great panic. We were running too because we didn’t want to stick around and we went into a hotel to get to safety.”
Original story:
A large truck has crashed into a crowd for the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France, killing 60 people and injuring another 100.
TIME reports thousands of people had gathered to the streets to watch the firework celebrations when a truck plowed through the crowd, sending people screaming in panic and running away from the scene.
Police suspect that this was a terror attack, which makes it the third terror attack in France over the past 18 months, following the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015 and the Paris attacks last year.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet. Police are set to release more information soon.
Gunfire killed the driver of the truck, however one other man involved in the attacks escaped the scene and is still on the run.
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