There is an estimated 75 people dead. He was killed by police.
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Police officers stand near a truck, with its windscreen riddled with bullets, that ploughed into a crowd leaving a fireworks display in the French Riviera town of Nice on July 14, 2016.
The correspondent described the moment that the large white truck plunged into crowds of people who had come to the bustling Mediterranean beachfront to celebrate.
“I saw bodies flying like bowling pins along its route. Heard noises, cries I will never forget”.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says 80 people have died in the truck attack on the seaside avenue of Nice, and 18 people are in critical condition.
The New Zealand Embassy in Paris is working with French authorities to find out whether any New Zealanders have been caught up in the French truck attack. Nice regional president Eric Ciotti said on France Info radio that “It’s a scene of horror” and gave a figure of 60 dead.
Military personnel have already rushed to the scene, and Hollande said that he would deploy more reserves and guards to deal with the emergency situation.
The vehicle drove two kilometers (1.2 miles) through the huge crowd, French Prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre told the AFP news agency. He stopped, however, short of using the word attack, while ackn7wledging that “it has many ingredients of an attack that allow us to think that”.
People screamed and scattered as the truck veered down the palm-lined promenade where thousands of adults and children had gathered for the fireworks, walking towards the famous Negresco Hotel.
Australian Emily Watkins said she was less than 50 metres away from the incident and saw the truck on the promenade but did not realise what was happening.
Reports suggest the truck drove some distance through the crowd. Molina said her teenage son witnessed the carnage.
In a press conference at the scene, he said that the identification of the criminal was in progress, refusing to confirm reports that an ID card was found after police shot dead the lorry driver, and added that more information on the issue would come from the prosecutor’s office.
“All of France is under the threat of Islamic terrorism”, said the French President, implying the attack was perpetrated by extremists.
Bouhlel said he witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting.
US President Barack Obama condemned “what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack”, although no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.
The attack sent shockwaves across the globe with China offering “condolences” and US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump postponing the announcement of his pick for running mate because of the attack. “It’s something you’re not supposed to see”, she said.
Video on social media shows crowds running in the aftermath.
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Several videos posted to Twitter show the attack itself, with the truck slowly approaching the crowd with police alongside it (possibly trying to direct it elsewhere), only to suddenly accelerate and ram into the crowd.
