Vancouver woke up to a scene of devastation following a deadly ramming attack at a Filipino community street festival that left at least nine people dead. Survivors described horrifying scenes of chaos and heartbreak as victims lay scattered across the ground.
Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai confirmed that a 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested Saturday night after an SUV plowed through the crowded Lapu Lapu Festival in South Vancouver at high speed. Authorities stated on social media platform X that they are “confident” the incident was not an act of terrorism. As of early Sunday morning, the death toll stood at nine.
Multiple people were injured, but police have not yet released the full number of casualties, awaiting notification of family members. Witnesses spoke of the terrifying moments when the black SUV tore through the festival. Carayn Nulada, one of the survivors, said she threw her body over her grandchildren to protect them, while her daughter narrowly escaped serious injury when the vehicle clipped her arm. Despite falling, her daughter quickly got up, frantically searching for her family amid screams and the sight of victims lying pale and motionless on the street.
Nulada, speaking from Vancouver General Hospital, described the agony of searching for her brother, who suffered multiple broken bones after being hit by the SUV. Hospital staff identified him by his wedding ring, presented to the family in a pill bottle. He remains in stable condition but faces surgery.
Videos of the attack’s aftermath flooded social media, showing wreckage and bodies strewn across a long stretch of East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street. Vancouver Police have established a 24-hour assistance centre at the Douglas Park Community Centre to help those who have not been able to locate loved ones.
Political leaders across Canada expressed their shock and sadness. Liberal Leader Mark Carney said he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events,” while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the “senseless attack.” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who had attended the festival earlier in the day, said he was “horrified” by the tragedy.
Members of the Filipino community, deeply shaken, gathered outside Vancouver General Hospital to support victims’ families. Lourdes Venegas and her friend Teresita Landingin, after hearing about the tragedy during dinner, rushed to the hospital to offer prayers and comfort. They spent time consoling the Nulada family, gently offering their prayers and support.
The Lapu Lapu Festival, a celebration named after a 16th-century Indigenous Filipino hero who resisted Spanish colonization, was meant to honor cultural pride and community. Instead, it turned into a night of grief and mourning for Vancouver’s Filipino community.