A Christmas celebration in Sainte-Anne in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe turned tragic on Friday after a vehicle rammed into a crowd preparing for festive events, killing at least 10 people and injuring nine others.
Local broadcaster Radio Caraibes Internationale (RCI) reported that three of the injured are in critical condition. The incident took place at Schoelcher Square, located opposite the town hall and the church, where final preparations for the event were being made.
Authorities have launched an investigation, though the cause of the crash remains unclear. Witnesses told RCI that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency, but officials have not confirmed this. The driver reportedly stayed at the scene after the collision.
Firefighters, paramedics and police teams rushed to the spot, while the town’s mayor activated a crisis unit to assist the victims and their families in the aftermath of what authorities described as a “horrific tragedy.”
A similar incident had occurred last year in Magdeburg, Germany, when a car drove through a crowded Christmas market, killing two people and injuring 68. The driver, identified as a 50-year-old Saudi national who had been living in Germany since 2006, was arrested.
–IANS
