'Several dead' after truck crashes into crowd at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice 'terror attack'

MSNBC saying a dozen or more dead.

A truck has crashed into a crowd of revelers celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice – prompting fears of terrorism, Peter Allenreports.

Horrific images depicting men and women lying on the side of a road close to the Promenade des Anglais appeared on social media.

Videos and photographs also showed thousands fleeing in panic following reports of loud explosions.

Fireworks were filling the night sky as the drama unfolded, as the crowds enjoyed July 14th, which is always a Bank Holiday in France.

The country is still under a State of Emergency following last year’s attacks on Paris, when almost 150 people were murdered by Islamic State and Al-Qaeda operatives.

Both groups are well known for driving vehicles into innocent people, prompting fears that tonight’s incident could be linked to their activities.

Bastille Day, which celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris during the French Revolution of 1789, is the country’s biggest public holiday.

'Several dead' after truck crashes into crowd at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice 'terror attack'

 

FOX says French TV is reporting 30 dead.

Holy shit.

 

Watched the Bastille Day ceremonies today on LeMonde (I'm in Amsterdam for a few more days).

It's a gorgeous display of patriotism all the way around.

France is getting hit hard.

 

France has been hit hard since it kicked the English out and annexed Burgundy in the 15th century.

 

Now it's 60 dead ...

 

Ugh.

 

French paratroopers about to take over Corsica. Next step are forces landing in Paris and demanding Sarkozy be allowed to form a Sixth Republic.

 

More ammo for the gun nuts who will point to this and say, "see, you can mass murder people with a truck too."

 

Latest report says 70 dead.

Also, Trump delaying his announcement of a running mate. Reminds me of when McCain "suspended" his campaign because lots of people lost lots of money. He wins another news cycle.

 

Horrible as it was, think what it could have been. Build an Oklahoma City style truck bomb and drive it into that crowd and set it off. That could happen in any major city, at a parade or a sports event or a speech.

Anyone with a single shred of imagination can come up with hundreds of scenarios. That's why it is so hard to stop these attacks, because unless you have the group penetrated so you have advance intelligence you simply cannot cover every vulnerable spot in the country.

 

Close enough -- there were grenades inside the truck, apparently.