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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Dozens feared dead after truck drives into crowd in Nice | Dozens feared dead after truck drives into crowd in Nice |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A truck has crashed into a crowd gathered for France’s Bastille Day fireworks on the seafront of the southern city of Nice, killing at least 60 people, French media have reported. | |
| The sub-prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Sébastien Humbert, told French rolling news channel BFM TV: “The death toll is extremely high.” | The sub-prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Sébastien Humbert, told French rolling news channel BFM TV: “The death toll is extremely high.” |
| He said a truck had ploughed into a crowd over a long distance on the beachfront Promenade des Anglais “which explains the extremely high toll”. | |
| He added that there had been an exchange of gunfire and the truck driver had been killed. He described it as “a criminal event”. He told residents to avoid the centre of Nice. | He added that there had been an exchange of gunfire and the truck driver had been killed. He described it as “a criminal event”. He told residents to avoid the centre of Nice. |
| News TV channel iTele put the death toll at least 60, quoting the local public prosecutor’s office. Humbert said that 100 had been injured. | |
| Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native who spoke to the Associated Press near Nice’s seafront, said that he saw a truck drive into the crowd and then witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting. “There was carnage on the road,” Bouhlel said. “Bodies everywhere.” | |
| “People are running, it’s panic,” a local newspaper journalist from Nice-Matin was reported saying. “There is blood, no doubt injuries.” | “People are running, it’s panic,” a local newspaper journalist from Nice-Matin was reported saying. “There is blood, no doubt injuries.” |
| Security forces and ambulances raced to the scene, and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors. | Security forces and ambulances raced to the scene, and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors. |
| The Gendarmerie Nationale tweeted: “Emergency operation in progress. Keep calm and avoid downtown area. Follow the official accounts to be informed.” | |
| Nice’s Promenade des Anglais is famed as a landmark and runs for some four miles. It was busy with revellers celebrating and watching fireworks. | |
| A reporter for the French news agency AFP described seeing a white vehicle driving at high speed on to the promenade as people were leaving after the annual Bastille Day celebration display. | |
| “We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around,” he said, adding that the incident took place near the Hotel Negresco. | “We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around,” he said, adding that the incident took place near the Hotel Negresco. |
| Terrified pedestrians screamed as they fled the area. “It was absolute chaos,” he said. | Terrified pedestrians screamed as they fled the area. “It was absolute chaos,” he said. |
| A huge security cordon was established, closing off the central Place Massena by 23.30 GMT, AFP added. | A huge security cordon was established, closing off the central Place Massena by 23.30 GMT, AFP added. |
| President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Christian Estrosi, tweeted that a “truck-driver appeared to have killed dozens of people”. He told Nice residents: “Stay at home”. | President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Christian Estrosi, tweeted that a “truck-driver appeared to have killed dozens of people”. He told Nice residents: “Stay at home”. |
| Cher niçois, le chauffeur d'un camion semble avoir fait des dizaines de morts. Restez pour le moment à votre domicile. Plus d'infos à venir | Cher niçois, le chauffeur d'un camion semble avoir fait des dizaines de morts. Restez pour le moment à votre domicile. Plus d'infos à venir |
| BFM TV said President François Hollande was returning to Paris from the Avignon to hold a crisis meeting at the interior ministry. | |
| The French environment minister Ségolène Royal tweeted her “distress and saddened solidarity with the victims in Nice and all the peope of Nice”. | The French environment minister Ségolène Royal tweeted her “distress and saddened solidarity with the victims in Nice and all the peope of Nice”. |
| British security officials and the government were monitoring the situation in Nice, as the seriousness of the incident escalated. | |
| The initial details suggest a tactic which jihadi propaganda has suggested for several years, with a vehicle ploughing into a crowd. Inspire magazine, affiliated with al-Qaida, urged the tactic several years ago. | |
| If the attack is confirmed as a terrorist incident there are two immediate direct consequences for the UK. | |
| First is the decision to use a lorry as a weapon. Second, past attacks overseas have led to increase in hate incidents in the UK directed at Muslims in Britain. | |
| Amber Rudd, the new home secretary, has been briefed by officials on the emerging details from France. Rudd was appointed to her job on Wednesday. On Thursday night she left an event in central London – celebrating police bravery – without making any comment. | |
| The White House said that President Barack Obama had been appraised of the situation was being kept updated. |