'Bodies everywhere': At least 11 people killed, many injured after vehicle driven into crowd in Vancouver
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Police said in an update posted on X early Sunday morning: 'As of now, we can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night's Lapu Lapu festival. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.'
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As of Sunday at 6 a.m, Fraser Street between 41st and 49th remained closed to allow room for the police investigation; TransLink buses continued to be rerouted to Main Street.
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A 24-hour support centre was set up at Douglas Park Community Centre to help connect people with loved ones who were attending the festival.
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Videos posted to social media show the immediate aftermath, with bodies strewn across the road and being tended to by first responders and bystanders. Victims were rushed to several local hospitals, where staff were told to prepare for mass casualties.
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Yoseb Vardeh is the co-owner of the food truck Bao Buns, which had been stationed at the festival all day.
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In a phone interview late Saturday, Vardeh spoke through tears to describe what had been 'an incredible day' that ended in shock and terror.
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'I didn't get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev. It didn't make any sense to me because there's still people here, like, it sounded like a car speeding. It didn't make any f—ing sense,' he said.
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Vardeh said the final performance had just ended and that many food trucks, including his, had stayed past the event's closing time to serve last-minute customers who were still enjoying the evening.
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It was then that the truck, according to Vardeh, came from the direction of nearby John Oliver Secondary School, drove past a number of market vendors, and sped up before driving down 43rd Avenue, which had been turned into a pedestrian-only area flanked on both sides by food trucks.
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'I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there's just bodies everywhere,' said Vardeh, as his voice broke. 'He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.'
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Vardeh said he's unsure how the truck was stopped but said he saw a man being arrested and that police worked quickly to cordon off the area. Vardeh said the man was telling bystanders to stop filming him.
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