France was again the site of a major terror attack when a man sped a large truck into a crowd of people after a fireworks display on Thursday evening that topped off the Bastille Day celebration in the southern city of Nice.
Eighty-four people have been reported killed so far, including a number of children. At least 130 people were injured or reported missing, with the toll continuing to rise through the night. The driver, identified as a 31-year-old Frenchman of Tunisian descent, was shot dead by police after leaping from the truck and opening fire into the crowd.
“We are praying for everyone who has been injured in this terrible attack,” said Rabbi Yossef Yitschok Pinson, director of Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur and head Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in the region.
Four counselors at Chabad’s Gan Israel day camp were at the scene of the attack, which was about a seven-minute walk from the Chabad House, reported Pinson. Having crossed the street just moments earlier, they narrowly missed the truck’s path of destruction.
“They had to run from the truck,” he said. “It was just a few feet away from them.”
Members of the camp were initially placed in lockdown in a local restaurant. They have since left for the safety of the rabbi’s home.
“Obviously, they are very upset, having seen everything—people falling and bodies,” said Pinson.
Chabad will be seeking professionals to help Gan Israel staff deal with the trauma.
Pinson said “our hearts and prayers go towards the victims of the attack that occurred in our city of Nice, and we express our sincere condolences to all those affected by this horrible tragedy.”
Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur is working to help people in the wake of the July 14 terror attack. See here.
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