Dozens Killed After Truck Crashes Into Crowd at Bastille Day Celebration in France

Dozens of people were killed after a truck crashed into a large crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France.

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Complex Original

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UPDATED 7/15/16 7:30 a.m.

The driver in the attack has been identified as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, The Telegraph reports. He was a convicted criminal originally from Tunisia who held a French passport and lived in Nice. The death toll rose to 84 overnight, with two Americans, a 51-year-old father from Texas and his 11-year-old son, named among the victims, according to The New York Times. At least 10 children were killed in the attack. 

See below for the original story.

At least 80 people are dead and an unknown number injured after a truck crashed into a large crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France, according to France's Interior Minister. The vehicle, a large box truck, rammed into a crowd watching the Bastille Day parade from the Promenade des Anglaisin, a famous Nice landmark. Authorities are reportedly calling it a terrorist attack, although it's not immediately clear who is responsible. 

Gunshots were also reported, but have not been confirmed. A Nice man named Wassim Bouhlel told the Associated Press that he saw the driver slam into the crowd and emerge shooting. Reports indicate that the driver was shot dead by police. A report from CBC News claims that the truck was also "loaded with arms and grenades," although it appears few of them were used before the driver was killed. According to ABC News, the city is currently on lockdown.

#BREAKING City of Nice, France on lockdown after vehicle drives into crowd during Bastille Day celebrationshttps://t.co/42irUQhOhk

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 14, 2016

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi took to Twitter to report the sad news and urge people to return to their homes.

Several terrifying videos have emerged of the incident, including one showing many people lying dead and injured throughout the roadway. You can see some below, but be warned, they are graphic and disturbing.

Paris est avec #Nice. Nous sommes de tout cœur avec vous. #NousSommesUnis

— Paris (@Paris) July 14, 2016

.@POTUS on the attack in Nice, France: pic.twitter.com/CrbChxZs04

— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) July 14, 2016

Bastille Day is a major holiday in France. It celebrates the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution in 1789. It is usually celebrated with parades and fireworks, not unlike the 4th of July in the United States.

The city of Paris sent out a message of solidarity on Twitter, noting that the city stood with Nice. Paris suffered its own terrorist attack in Nov. of 2015. The attack, carried out by ISIS affiliates, killing 130 people.

The White House released an official statement regarding the incident, with President Obama saying he condemns "in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack." He also pledged the United States' full support in discovering who was responsible. You can read his full message below.

 

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