12 Dead, 30 Injured After Vehicle Rams Into Crowd in New Orleans

New Delhi, India: At Least 12 people were killed and 30 were injured after a vehicle rammed into a crowd in New Orleans' famed Canal and Bourbon Street in the first hours of New Year 's Day. The injured had been taken to five local hospitals. According to reports, the vehicle, reportedly a truck, crashed into a crowd at high speed, and the driver reportedly exited and began firing a weapon.

The incident came toward the end of New Year’s celebrations and hours before the kickoff of the AllState Bowl, a college football quarterfinal held in the city's Caesars Superdome, with thousands expected to be in attendance.

"Initial reports indicate a car may have ploughed into a group of people. While injuries are currently unconfirmed, there are reported fatalities," Metro quoted the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) spokesperson as saying. 

New Orleans police earlier said they were responding to a mass casualty incident, including fatalities. NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness agency had advised people to stay away from the area.

NOLA Ready's Advisory To Residents 

In an advisory, NOLA Ready urged residents to avoid the area surrounding Canal and Bourbon Streets. “There has been a mass casualty incident on Canal and Bourbon Street. Get yourself away from the area,” the department posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Details about the motive behind the attack remain unclear.