Multiple people are feared dead after a car reportedly plowed into a group of people in New Orleans’ Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
At least one person has been killed and multiple injured, New Orleans Police Department said according to WGNO-TV. But there are fears that there may be up to 10 fatalities after the driver plowed into the crowd, a source from the department said.
Witness accounts recalled a truck crashing into a crowd at high speed before the driver got out and started firing a weapon, with police returning fire, CBS reported.
Multiple people were seen lying injured on the ground following the incident.
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 department responsible for emergency preparedness in New Orleans, Nola Ready, told people to stay away from the area in a post on X. “There has been a mass casualty incident on Canal and Bourbon Street. Get yourself away from the area,” it wrote.
One person who says they witnessed the incident described it on social media as the “most horrific thing I’ve ever seen”.
They said they saw a “truck crashing through the barricades” before seeing it “run into a crowd” and “people flying as it hit them”.
Bourbon Street is a popular spot for bars and clubs where New Year’s revellers were welcoming in 2025.
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