Terror truck kills 80 in France on Bastille Day

A terrorist gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd that had watched Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice late on Thursday, officials said.

Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 80 people died and 18 were in a critical condition. Many more were also wounded in the attack along the famed seafront Promenade des Anglais as the fireworks ended just after 10:30pm (2030 GMT).

The driver also opened fire before police shot him dead.

“At the moment that he was shot dead by police, he had fired several times,” said president of the region Christian Estrosi.

Authorities said they found identity papers belonging to a 31-year-old French-Tunisian citizen in the 19-tonne truck. The truck was riddled with bullet holes and badly damaged, with burst tyres.

“France is filled with sadness by this new tragedy,” Hollande said, noting several children were among the dead in what he said he had no doubt was an act of terrorism.