14th July Terror Attack in Nice
84 dead, ~48 in critical condition & 25 in intensive care
We are in shock this morning as at least 84 people have been confirmed dead after a man drove a truck into people celebrating the national holiday of 14th July on the Promenade des Anglais.
At around 23:00 the lorry drove onto the Promenade des Anglais where thousands of people were celebrating Bastille Day and apparently swerved along the road for 2km aiming to hit as many people as possible. Many children and adults were killed or seriously injured as a result. Parents were seen to throw their children over barriers, and people were themselves jumping out the way to try to prevent being hit by the truck. A BBC reporter Roy Calley said last night "All hell has broken loose in Nice."
The 31 year man behind the attack, a French-Tunisian citizen, is said to have been living in the area and had hired the truck just a few days before according to AFP. He fired shots from the lorry before being shot dead by the police on the scene. He has been named by police as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel. The apartment where he was staying has been searched this morning and several of his family members have been taken in for questioning.
France's president Francois Hollande has called the attack "monstrous." In a TV broadcast he said “A fresh atrocity has has just been inflicted on France, it is the whole of France which is under threat from Islamic terrorism.” France's state of emergency for a further three months and Hollande has said that not only will France reassess the domestic terror threat but also step up military activity in Iraq and Syria. He is due to visit Nice this morning after attending a National Security Council meeting in Avignon.
Italy has tightened border controls at three road crossings into France and at the Ventimiglia train link between the two countries. Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted “Our security apparatus is at work” he said. He also said he was due to get a counter terrorism briefing later this morning.
Nice hospitals have launched an appeal for blood donations in the wake of the attack. 18 people remain in a critical condition this morning, with around 50 people suffering minor injuries and 100 people being treated for shock. 54 children are believed to have been hospitalised.
A Twitter account has been set up to help people find missing friends and relatives - @NiceFindPeople and Facebook have set up a check in page where people can connect to tell people they are OK.
Public gatherings in Nice have been banned until further notice and the city remains on lockdown this morning. The British Ambassador to France, Julian King, is on his way to Nice, "to join our team assisting British nationals." Phone numbers you can call for information are 01 43 17 56 46 for international calls and 04 93 72 22 22 for locals.
Our thoughts are with those killed or injured and their family and friends.
