Mass crash in Vancouver leaves several dead at festival; perpetrator arrested

Nine people died in Vancouver , Canada, as a result of a mass crash that occurred during a Filipino street festival on the night of Saturday, April 26.

“We can now confirm the deaths of nine people after a man drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival last night,” Vancouver police said in a statement posted on their official X social media account.

Police said the incident began around 8:14 p.m. local time when a vehicle plowed into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival between East 41st Avenue and Fraser Avenue.

Authorities declined to provide an exact number of victims , as several were taken to various hospitals in the region. Police, however, ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack, according to a message posted on the official X account.

In the same message, they indicated that the driver of the vehicle - according to witnesses, a black Audi SUV - was arrested shortly after the incident, according to information from Europa Press .

In the first press conference after the incident, Vancouver's acting police chief, Steve Rai, identified the suspect as a man in his 30s , originally from the city, known to authorities "under certain circumstances."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( SRE ) of the Government of Mexico deeply regretted the mass attack that occurred on Saturday night in Vancouver , where several people lost their lives and others were injured during the aforementioned festival .

In a message posted on social media, the Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and expressed its solidarity with those affected.

“The @SRE_mx deeply regrets the accident that occurred tonight in Vancouver , Canada , in which several people lost their lives and others were injured. The nationality of those affected has not yet been confirmed,” the agency stated.

Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that the Mexican community residing or visiting Vancouver remain attentive to official communications issued by the Vancouver Police Department.

The Secretariat also reminded that the Mexican Consulate General in Vancouver is available to provide consular assistance to those who require it. For emergencies, the telephone number is 604-684-1859.