Police identify attacker in Nice as 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel
France declared three days of national mourning after the man drove a 25-tonne truck into a crowd, killing 84 people.
Police have identified the attacker in Nice as 31-year-old Franco-Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel. Investigators said he was a delivery driver and thus could have had easy access to the 25-tonne truck he drove into a crowd of people who were watching Bastille Day fireworks in the city on Thursday night. At least 84 people were killed in the attack.
Witnesses said Bouhlel drove the massive truck in a zig-zag direction in an attempt to injure as many people as possible. He was reportedly shot dead after opening fire on security personnel. Police on Friday took his ex-wife in for questioning, AFP reported. Investigators have not yet established any links between the attacker and any terrorist groups.
In Nice, French President Francois Hollande addressed the media and said that 50 victims are in critical condition. He added that many foreigners were killed in the incident. Hollande earlier condemned the attack and extended the state of emergency in France by another three months. The toll from the attack is expected to rise. Hospitals in Nice have also reportedly appealed for blood donations.
The attack has not been claimed by any militant group yet. The incident has come eight months after Islamic State terrorists killed around 130 people in Paris in November.