84 people have been killed as Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel purposefully drove a lorry through a crowd at the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice.
202 people were also injured. 52 suffered from critical injuries, whilst 25 are on life support. Ten of the dead were children. 30,000 people had attended the celebrations on Promenade des Anglais at the time of the attack.
Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel who was shot dead by French police in the lorry. Other fake and replica weapons were found inside the lorry
Prosecutor Francois Molins said, “Bouhlel drove the 19-tonne lorry into crowds celebrating Bastille Day at about 22:45 local time (20:45 GMT). He fired at officers with a 7.65mm calibre automatic pistol when the vehicle was close to the Negresco hotel and continued for another 300m, where his vehicle was stopped near the Palais de la Mediterranee hotel and he was shot dead.”
President Francois Hollande called the attack was one of “an undeniable terrorist nature” and that France faced an enemy, “that will continue to attack those people and those countries that count liberty as an essential value”.
“We will overcome the suffering because we are a united France,” he said.
A state of emergency, which was put in place since November’s Paris attacks, in which 130 people died, has been extended by three months. On Tuesday, the president had announced that France planned to end its state of emergency.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected in the attacks.
