Vancouver – Arab Canada News

The Vancouver police announced on Sunday evening that several people were killed and injured with varying degrees of severity due to a hit-and-run incident that occurred during the "Lapu Lapu Day Block Party" celebrations organized by the Filipino community on Main Street in the city.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) confirmed in an official statement on the "X" platform (formerly Twitter) that a vehicle crashed into the gathering of celebrants around 6 PM local time, causing panic among attendees and resulting in multiple victims, including one person who died at the scene.

The police statement clarified that the driver remained at the scene of the accident and was arrested, indicating that preliminary investigations do not suggest any clear terrorist or criminal motives at this time, and that there are no other threats to public safety. Several roads were temporarily closed to facilitate the arrival of emergency and ambulance services to the site of the incident.

In a comment on the "X" platform, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said:

“This is an extremely tragic incident. Our hearts are with the victims and their families. Thank you to the emergency teams who rushed to respond.”

New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh also expressed his solidarity with the local community, stating:

“We are thinking of everyone affected by this horrific tragedy during the Filipino community's celebration. We send our love and prayers to all.”

Tweets from the Vancouver Police confirmed that investigative teams are still working on-site to collect evidence and gather testimonies, while additional teams were deployed to support the affected local community.

Meanwhile, CTV Vancouver reported that paramedic teams dealt with several injuries, some of which were serious, and the injured were transported to nearby hospitals.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victim or the injured, and have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has video recordings to reach out to the Vancouver Police to assist with the investigation.