King Charles has said he was “profoundly saddened” after learning that nine people were killed when a car drove into a crowd in Vancouver.
Festivalgoers were attending a street party celebrating the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day on Saturday night, when a black SUV ploughed into the crowd at 8:14pm, police said. Authorities arrested a 30-year-old man at the scene.
Charles, who is the King of Canada, said: “Both my wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the dreadful attack and utterly tragic loss of life in Vancouver, which took place as the Filipino community came together to mark the celebration of one of their most special festivals.
Follow the latest updates about the incident here.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy and we send our deepest possible sympathy at a most agonizing time for so many in Canada.”
Multiple others were injured during the celebration of Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous Visayan Chieftain from Mactan, Philippines, described as the country’s first national hero.
The crash is being treated as a “mass casualty incident”, police said - but they are not treating it as a terrorist attack. “At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” Vancouver police wrote late on Saturday.
Only one driver and one car drove into the festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, Vancouver Police said. The police did not clarify whether the suspect had a criminal record.
Vancouver Coastal Health, the regional health authority for the city, has confirmed a “code orange” mass casualty event according to The Canadian Press.
Set by the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services, the code is put into place when extra support is needed to respond to a large scale health event. The colour indicates the type of event, rather than how serious it is.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney - who is hoping for re-election when the country goes to the polls on Monday - said: “I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver.
“We are all mourning with you. We are monitoring the situation closely, and thankful to our first responders for their swift action.”
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr, better known as Bongbong Marcos, said he was "shattered to hear about the terrible incident" in Vancouver.
Mr Marcos said the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver was working with Canadian authorities to ensure that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
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