A terrorist attack has killed over 80 people, including several children, in Nice during the city’s annual Bastille Day celebrations. Eyewitnesses report a truck “zigzagging” through crowds with an “intent to kill”.
#Nice > "C'était des zigzags avec une intention de tuer" raconte un témoin https://t.co/3qrPVw3frT
— CNEWS (@CNEWS) July 14, 2016
The local prosecutor’s office has stated that at least 80 people are known to have died, with over 100 injured.
Eyewitnesses state the driver leapt from the vehicle and began firing into the crowd, before Police officers returned fire. It is understood the driver has been killed. French security services have identified the driver as a 31 year-old Franco-Tunisian national who was “known to police”.
https://twitter.com/yvnnick/status/753691735302238209
The attack occurred on the popular Promenade de Anglais, which was packed with “tens of thousands” of tourists watching a Bastille Day firework show.
Christian Etrosi, prefect of the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, stated the truck was loaded with “arms and grenades” while speaking to press, fuelling fears the attack may have been perpetrated by an organised group. Dutch media have already reported IS claiming responsibility for the attack, a report which has yet to be verified.
Verschillende media: IS eist aanslag op #Nice pic.twitter.com/wsUM5UQxEY
— Alexander Bakker (@alexanderbakker) July 14, 2016
The attack comes less than a year after an IS attack killed 130 people in attacks across Paris, centring on a concert at the Bataclan theatre. Earlier in the day President François Hollande had announced that the State of Emergency put in place after the November attacks is to be lifted on July 26th.
President Hollande was rushed back to Paris from Avignon to chair an emergency meeting of French officials. He has now declared three days of mourning following the attack. Prime Minister May was briefed as the situation developed.
Updated 10:08AM BST
Is it confirmed as a terrorist attack? The media reports are uncertain
Hi Michael, local prosecutors have handed over the investigation to anti-terrorism investigators.
Have been a couple of witnesses claiming to of heard “gunshots” yet no official confirmation of this yet. Could of well been fireworks for all we know presently.
Indeed but the only details given on the media appear to be speculation and here say
Given anti-terror police are now in charge of investigation I’d say it’s fair to assume it was a terrorist attack, maybe just a lone nutjob though as no group has claimed responsibility at all. (Source was French radio station around 3 minutes ago).
It is looking likely but I will wait for the official announcement
Michael Wadeson wake up mate it was hardly an accident.
What I am saying is wait for the official announcement. I recall a truck accident some years ago where 20 plus were killed after a driver had a heart attack and was trying to get control of the vehicle but eventually died in the process along with civilians.
Neil Gaffney And I am fully awake, thankyou! Probably more than you!
Mal Sutcliffe the truck windscreen was littered with bullet holes, looks like the gunfire heard was the police killing the driver
Are those reports confirmed by anything other than media reporters?
All reports are confirmed. It has been handed to terrorism investigators, the police shot the assailant dead, and guns and grenades have been found in the vehicle.
Thanks for update Rob Dean, had to go out quick so couldn’t keep up with news.
Simon Gurden Hey. Confirmed by who? I am not saying it is not a terror attack but I must work from actual intel and not just from conjecture and media speculation from unconfirmed reports.
Michael I hardly think that a truck driver would have a cache of guns and grenades in his waggon – the French President has confirmed its a terror attack
Again, only hearsay through the media reporter and not an announcement by an official at the time of my posting.
Hi Michael, there have now been three statements from the French government on this.
Why would they all lie Michael?
UK Defence Journal I have all the updates but just saying that at the time of my original post, there was no official confirmation as of 11 hours ago.
Tom Myzak No one is saying that they are lying but reporters initially report information that they have heard but not confirmed. Only positive intelligence can give an accurate picture. From the eyewitness interviews and phone footage shown this morning, it would appear that many there were not sure it was an attack until they heard gun fire and then some further away thought it could have been fireworks.
Well then your initial scepticism has been proven wrong
Simon Gurden Not scepticism at all. I just don’t jump to conclusions based on hearsay and rumour. Even the BBC are now reporting that there are still details to be discovered as the situation becomes clearer.
The French President has now said it was a terrorist attack.
Michael Wadeson it was hardly a tragic accident.
Try reading my updates and not just the initial posts created prior to the facts being confirmed.
Despite the French president, mayor of nice, our government, world leaders, chief of police, eye witness accounts you are still persisting with the scepticism
france again?
Here we go again. If this isn’t a terror attack I’ll be very surprised.
Unbelievable scenes. So sad
Open boarders it appears are not such a good idea, Very sad!
what is happening in europe
If this is not a rhetorical question, a truck has plowed into a crowd of Bastille day celebrators in Nice, France and 70 plus are dead
bloody radical islaam
Well done West for getting rid off Gaddafi, Hussein and nearly Assad. Really made the world safer fighting Israels wars..
Gaddafi was developing nukes, Hussein had Al Quaeda connections and like Assad was gassing his people. Hard to prove the world would have been more peaceful with them still in place.
Give it a rest will you
Imbecilic comment
Gaddafi gave up his nukes in exchange for normalised relations with the West. Ask Tony Blair.
Hussein ruthlessly purged Islamic terrorists like AQ, that’s why they tried to assanisate him. They have filled the power vacuum subsequently as Islamic state caliphate
It was the Western backed invaders of Syria fighting Israels proxy war that first and repeatedly used chemical weapons against Syrian army, read the UN reports
Finally stop playing with your toy soldiers and get educated if you really care about the military and the good people that serve us
Sickening what is coming out of Nice tonight…. All the worse when you realise that there will be children involved in this 🙁
Criminal
just another fucking tragedy to blame the muslims immigrants and block them from entering the Europe
We condemn the terrorist attack in France.
No Mercy on enemies!
raised the white flag frenchies…
I don’t get why France has become the target for terrorists
All them innocent people ,cowardly basturds
Sick wankers
The death toll is now 84 with hundreds injured.
France has a huge integration problem. Something we may suffer if we continue isolating groups of people into separate communities.
[…] is currently in a state of emergency, declared by President Hollande following the Bastille Day attack in Nice which killed […]