At least 10 killed after vehicle hits crowd of people in New Orleans

At least 10 people have been killed after a vehicle struck a crowd celebrating the New Year in New Orleans.

At least another 35 people have been injured in the incident, which took place on the corner of the popular Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter of the city on Wednesday morning.

Anne Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, said the attack started at around 3.15am local time when a man driving a pickup truck “intentionally” went around barricades and drove down the street at a “very fast pace”.

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“He was trying to run over as many people as he could,” she said.

“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did.”

Superintendent Kirkpatrick said the perpetrator also open fired at officers after crashing the vehicle. Two officers were shot, but are both currently in a stable condition in hospital.

Police did not give any indication of the condition of the attacker, but Sky News’ US partner network NBC News said they are believed to be dead, citing a federal law enforcement officer.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell described the incident as a “terrorist attack” but FBI special agent Alethea Duncan later said it is “not a terrorist event”, instead saying there have been “improvised explosive devices” found in the area.

Checks are currently taking place to see if these devices are “viable”, Ms Duncan said.

All three officials warned the public to stay away from the Bourbon Street area.

‘Horrific act of violence’

The city’s emergency preparedness campaign, NOLA, managed by New Orleans Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, said earlier on Wednesday there had been a “mass casualty incident”.

“The 8th District is currently working a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street,” NOLA said.

“Public safety partners are responding on scene.”

They warned people to “get yourself away from the area”.

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry said in a post on X that he was “praying for all the victims and first responders on scene”.

He called the incident a “horrific act of violence”.

Police said on Tuesday they expected the city to be busy as locals and visitors rang in the new year.

The city was also just hours from the annual Allstate Sugar Bowl college American football game, which was set to attract thousands of people.

Officials said to help keep the peace, the police department would be staffed at 100% and it would draft in another 300 officers.

Bourbon Street is a popular tourist area in the city, famous for its many bars and clubs.