A 30-year old driver who is being linked to the tragic plowing of a crowd during the Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver, Canada that resulted in the initial death of nine people and injuring dozens of others is now in the custody of the police.
Earlier, 9 people were killed and multiple others were injured in Vancouver after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a Filipino street festival in the western Canadian city on Saturday April 26.
However, the number of fatalities or injured individuals due to the accident have to be officially provided by the Vancouver police s the investigation of the arrested driver is still being underway.
Initially, Vancouver police claimed that at this time, the said incident was not an act of terrorism contrary to earlier conclusions from concerned sectors.
The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. (0300 GMT) near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero, was taking place.
The government of British Columbia officially recognized April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.
The festival, celebrated especially in the central Philippines, honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
The centerpiece of the festivities in Vancouver is a multi-block street party in the Sunset neighborhood featuring Filipino food and traditions, live performances and cultural displays.
By HENT
