At least 9 dead as car drives into crowd in Canada

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a car drove into a street festival in Vancouver, Canada.

The incident occurred on Saturday night local time, according to Vancouver Police, as residents celebrated "Lapu Lapu Day".

The day is a celebration of Vancouver’s Filipino community.

A number of people were killed and multiple others injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight.

Officials said the alleged driver, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, was in custody.

At a midnight press conference, police said that the suspect was "known" to them but did not elaborate.

In a later post on social media, police said they were "confident" the incident was not an act of terrorism.

Thousands of people were attending the festival when an SUV drove into the crowd at speed, according to local media.

Witnesses told the Vancouver Sun the final performer had just finished when the incident occurred on a street lined with food trucks and market stalls.

Interim police chief Steve Ra said there were a number of people injured and deceased.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said on social media he was "shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident".

Vancouver city councillor Peter Fry told CTV News he had also been at the event earlier in the day.

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