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'Number of people killed' after car plows into Vancouver street festival

Kenneth Chan
Kenneth Chan
|
Apr 27 2025, 4:35 am
'Number of people killed' after car plows into Vancouver street festival
Emergency response for the incident on Fraser Street near East 41st Avenue in Vancouver on April 26, 2025. (@marcmaravillas/Twitter)

UPDATE at 9:20 a.m.: During a morning press conference after 9 a.m., Vancouver Police state the death toll has further risen to 11 people, with dozens more injured.

UPDATE at 3:05 a.m.: Vancouver Police confirm at least nine people are dead.

UPDATE at 1:34 a.m.: In a post on X at 1:34 a.m., Vancouver Police state they are “confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism.”

UPDATE at midnight press conference: Vancouver Police have confirmed that a lone male suspect in his 30s is in custody.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE at 9:35 p.m.:

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has confirmed that there has been a mass casualty incident in Vancouver this Saturday evening, with a car driving into a crowd at a street festival, the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party.

The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. in the area of Fraser Street between East 41st Avenue and East 49th Avenue — next to John Oliver Secondary School — in South Vancouver. This area is now completely closed.

“A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival,” reads a statement by the VPD.

The driver, a lone male in his 30s of age, is in custody.

fraser street incident vancouver april 26 2025

Approximate location of the police incident on Fraser Street in South Vancouver on April 26, 2025. (Google Maps)

No other information has been provided by the VPD at this time. VPD will provide an update at midnight.

Graphic photos and videos circulating on social media show a major emergency response in the area, with some footage capturing numerous people who appear to be seriously injured or lying motionless on the ground. The incident appears to have occurred within the food truck area of the festival.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today’s Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time, Vancouver Police have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries,” reads a statement by Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim this evening.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”

Premier David Eby stated, “I am shocked and heartbroken to hear of the lives lost and those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating, and a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.”

TransLink also provided an update, noting that buses in the area of East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street are currently making detours.

“If you’re in the area and need bus service, please go to 49th Avenue & Fraser Street, where transit shuttles are available,” stated the public transit authority on X.

Additionally, TransLink notes it has provided “shelter buses” to the VPD to assist people at the scene. During mass casualty events, buses are often used to provide a safe haven for those injured.

This was the second annual Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, a recently created public event that was supposed to celebrate Vancouver’s Filipino community’s culture and heritage. This year’s event included a main stage performance featuring members of the Black Eyed Peas — Apl.de.Ap and J. Rey Soul — along with other musicians, cultural performances, and dance showcases.

According to the provincial government, there are over 170,000 Filipinos living in B.C., and Filipino Canadians are the fourth-largest visible minority group in the country and the third-largest in this province.

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