He extended a state of emergency by three months.
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Officials were cautious about accounts from bystanders that the lone man driving the truck had also opened fire and, amid chatter on social media of a hostage situation, police called on people not to propagate rumours that were hampering their work.
On behalf of all Americans, and especially the great many with close ties to France, I offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who were killed and our hopes for a speedy recovery to those who were injured. The truck did not explode, which would have magnified the carnage. Investigators are looking into the possibility of accomplices.
The UK Daily Mail reported the same detail, writing: “The truck driver was said to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” – God is greatest – before being killed”.
News footage from the scene of the Nice incident showed the truck’s windshield riddled with bullet holes.
The truck struck the crowd on the Promenade des Anglais, a seaside walk in center of the city in southern France, according to Nice Matin, a regional newspaper.
At the scene, dozens of tearful survivors pushed their way into the town and away from the coastline where they had been watching the fireworks display.
The vehicle drove two kilometers (1.2 miles) through the huge crowd, French Prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre told the AFP news agency. The government had put extra security measures in place for the Bastille Day celebrations.
Images on Twitter showed about a dozen people lying on the street, some being attended to, and videos posted online showed people fleeing in panic.
“Bodies are everywhere”, a witness told AP.
Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Omer Celik also said he “condemn the disgusting terrorist attack in Nice France in the strongest possible terms”.
Besides continuation of the state of emergency and the Sentinel operation with 10,000 soldiers on patrol, he said he was calling up “operational reserves”, those who have served in the past and will be brought in to help police, particularly at French borders.
The nature of the crash is being deemed criminal as it appeared to a well-planned attack.
France’s ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, characterized the events in Nice as a “terrorist attack”. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack.
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He listed several measures to bolster security in France after two waves of attacks a year ago that killed 147 people.
