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A lorry has driven into a crowd in Nice, southern France, leaving at least 84 people dead in what President Francois Hollande called a terror attack.
Summary
- A lorry has ploughed through a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in the southern French city of Nice
- At least 84 people are dead, including many children, the interior ministry says
- A further 18 people are in a critical condition in hospital
- The driver of the lorry was shot dead, French media report
- French media reports say he was 31 and known to police
- French President Francois Hollande said the country was “under the threat of Islamic terrorism”
Live reporting
By Martha Buckley and Alex Therrien
Flowers and candles laid in Moscow for Nice attack victims
BBC Moscow correspondent tweets…
Terorrism threat ‘more diverse than ever’
Counter-terrorism specialist Margaret Gilmore, from the Royal United Services Institute, says the attack has “all the hallmarks” of being by so-called Islamic State (IS).
But she says it is also possible it was by an individual who shared the IS ideology.
Japan PM condemns ‘utterly intolerable’ attack
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called the attack “utterly intolerable” and “cruel”, adding that Japan “expresses its strong solidarity with France at this difficult time.
Nice social reaction: ‘The summer has arrived’
A journalist from Le Monde newspaper says a reader has sent this drawing with the words: “The summer has arrived.”
Russian prime minister expresses ‘deepest condolences to France’
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has expressed condolences to the victims of the attack.
In a message posted to Twitter, he said: “My deepest condolences to France, to all those injured and to the families of those killed in the monstrous terrorist attack in France.”
‘Three Australians injured’ in Nice attack
Associated Press
Three Australians suffered minor injuries while fleeing the scene of the attack in Nice, the country’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has told reporters.
World ‘feels shattered’
BBC Radio 4 presenter has tweeted:
French media say 84 people dead
The French newspaper Nice-Matin is also reporting that the death toll has risen to 84 people.
Foreign Office ‘standing by’ to help Britons in Nice
The UK Foreign Office says it is “standing by” to help Britons in the French city of Nice.
A Downing Street spokesman said Number 10 was “shocked and concerned” by the attack.
Helpline for UK citizens in Nice
BBC presenter tweets…
Celebration turned to terror
AFP: ‘Death toll rises’
AFP news agency is quoting the French interior ministry as saying that the death toll has risen to 84 people.
Pistol ‘fired several times’
The driver of the white truck is thought to have fired a pistol several times before being shot dead by police, AFP reports. The news agency quotes a source close to the investigation as saying that an “inactive” grenade was found inside the vehicle, as well as “several fake rifles”.
AP
Victims’ relatives gather
Relatives of the victims have gathered in a room at the Pasteur hospital in Nice.
‘Attacker was known to police’
Reuters news agency is reporting that the attacker was known to police for common law crimes, but not to intelligence services.
Nice wakes up after night of bloodshed
It’s just after 07:00 in Nice and people are waking up to news of the aftermath of the deadly attack.
This man was on the promenade where so many people died.
AP
Mexican senate building illuminated
The Mexican senate building has been lit up with the colours of the French flag in solidarity with victims in Nice.
‘Many children in surgery’
Several children were among the victims of the attack. Laurence Marie from the Lenval paediatric hospital, told Reuters news agency that “many” children were undergoing serious operations there.
Nice attack: What we know so far
If you are just joining us, here is what we know so far about the Nice attack:
Solidarity from Belgium to France
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders tweeted this picture earlier of himself with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, saying: “On behalf of our country, I presented my condolences to my French colleague @jeanmarcayrault.”
Both men are at a summit of European and Asian leaders in Mongolia.
Report
China ‘condemns terrorism’
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said: “We strongly condemn terrorism of all forms. We express our condolences to the victims and we will fight all kinds of terrorism.”
Saved by a cup of coffee
French MEP Christophe Premat was at the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice with his family and thousands of other people.
He told Newsday on the BBC World Service that he believes he would have been caught up in the attack if his wife hadn’t wanted to stop for a coffee on their way home.
The celebrations ‘before the horror’
Aude Baron, a French journalist, has reposted this old tweet from the Nice authorities promoting the Bastille Day celebrations which took place “before the horror”.
The tweet reads: “This evening, from 21:30, make the most of the entertainment at the 1st Prom Party of this summer!”
It is a reminder of how unexpected this attack was.
Report
Driver’s identity still unconfirmed
French counter-terrorism investigators are still trying to identify the driver of the lorry which hit the crowds.
Local newspaper Nice-Matin cited unnamed sources as saying he was a 31-year-old local man of Tunisian origin. It’s worth noting, however, that such reports in the wake of previous attacks have sometimes not proved accurate.
‘Attacker fired several times’
Regional President Christian Estrosi has given more details on the moments before the lorry driver was killed.
“At the moment that he was shot dead by police, he had fired several times,” he told reporters.
Officials have been saying that at least one grenade was found inside the vehicle as well as “several fake rifles”, AFP reports.
Eyewitnesses describe scenes of chaos
“It had been a normal evening and we were just walking around,” Joel Fenster told the BBC.
“Suddenly people started running, there were screams and police sirens and policemen shouting at us to evacuate.”
We have compiled a page of eyewitness reports here.
Driver ‘fired shots’
French news agency AFP tweets:
Eyewitness: ‘You could see the fear’
Will Shore, a former British serviceman, ran towards the unfolding attack on the Promenade des Anglais and helped to rescue people. He told the BBC what he saw.