At least 10 people died and 30 others sustained injuries after a vehicle drove into a large crowd on Bourbon Street in the southern city of New Orleans in United States on early Wednesday.
According to BBC, a truck drove into a crowd at a high speed after which the driver got out and started firing a weapon. Police returned the fire. Eyewitnesses say multiple people were on the ground with injuries with some getting treated for the wounds.
The man suspected of ramming the vehicle into the crowd is dead, news agency AFP reported. As per reports by CNN and NBC News, the suspect had fled the spot after exchanging gunfire with police. However, police have not commented on the reports.
A New Orleans Police spokesperson told CBS News "initial reports show a car may have plowed into a group of people. Injuries are unknown but there are reported fatalities".
The city's emergency preparedness department has asked people to avoid the area of Canal and Bourbon streets where the incident occurred. "There has been a mass casualty incident on Canal and Bourbon Street. Get yourself away from the area," Nola Ready, the city of New Orleans department that oversees emergency preparedness, said in a post on X.
Footage from the spot showed a large number of police vehicles swarming the scene of the mass casualty incident. However, ABP couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video.
There are no details regarding the cause of the incident.
New Orleans is situated in the French Quarter, which is a popular tourist destination in the Louisiana city. The Boubon street is said to have been likely filled with people celebrating the New Year.
In a post on X, Louisiana Governor Jef Landry said he is "praying for all the victims and first responders on scene".
"A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area," Landry wrote.