The tragic incident prompts widespread condemnation and calls for increased safety measures.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the event, seeking to understand the motives behind the driver’s actions.At least 10 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in a car plowing into a crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the US. The accident occurred on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Meanwhile, local authorities did not specify the exact time of the incident.
City authorities said that the casualties occurred when a moving car plowed into a crowd. Bourbon Street, where the accident occurred, is known for its numerous bars and clubs. It is believed that the area was full of New Year’s revelers.
In a statement, New Orleans Emergency Preparedness Program Nola Ready said that they are responding to a mass casualty incident at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Street in the city’s 8th District. At least 10 people were killed at the scene, and more than 30 people were injured.
Earlier, citing witnesses, the country’s media outlet CBS News reported that a truck drove into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street at high speed. The driver of the truck then got out and opened fire. Police also returned fire in the incident.
A video posted online shows police surrounding the area of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The injured are being taken to the hospital after being rescued.
FBI investigating the incident of driving a car into a crowd of people on New Year’s Eve
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, has launched an investigation into the incident of driving a car into a crowd of people during the New Year’s celebration in the US state of New Orleans.
On Wednesday (January 1), after 3 am local time, a car was driven into a crowd at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Streets in the French Quarter of New Orleans. A man drove a pickup truck into a crowd. At least 10 people were killed and 35 were injured in the incident.
US media reports that the driver of the car was also killed. However, the cause of his death is not clear. The FBI has launched an investigation into the incident, along with the police. In a statement, the agency said that the person who drove the car into the crowd has died and that the incident is being investigated as an ‘act of terrorism.’.
The statement said, ‘This morning, a man drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Several people were killed and dozens were injured. We are investigating this as an act of terrorism with our partners.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said at a press conference that this man was trying to run over as many people as possible. His intention was to cause widespread death and destruction.
Bourbon Street, where the accident occurred, is known for its numerous bars and clubs. Music is held here, and the bars are crowded. It was New Year’s Eve, the first day of the year, marking the arrival of 2025. A pickup truck drove into the crowd.
Witnesses told a CBS News reporter that a car sped through a crowd on Bourbon Street. The driver got out and started shooting. Police returned fire.
Police said the driver opened fire on police after hitting the truck, wounding two officers. They were in stable condition. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident a “terrorist attack.”
At least five people were taken to hospitals, according to the New Orleans Department of Emergency Management. New Orleans has been plagued by violence on New Year’s Eve and other holidays.
Two people were killed and 10 others were injured in a shooting at a parade in November 2024. In 2017, a drunk driver drove a truck into a crowd at a Mardi Gras parade, injuring more than 20 people.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry condemned the incident, saying, “There was a terrible incident of violence on Bourbon Street this morning. He urged the local population to avoid the area.
US President Joe Biden has contacted the mayor of New Orleans in response to the incident and promised to provide necessary assistance.
