Quote:At least 73 people are dead and more than 150 injured after they were mown down by a truck in a suspected terror attack during the Bastille Day celebrations in the French city of Nice.
Eyewitnesses say there was an exchange of gunfire in the aftermath of the incident before the driver was shot dead. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to unconfirmed reports in the French media.
Guns and grenades were later said to have been found inside the truck, which mounted the pavement at approximately 40mph and steered directly towards hundreds of people watching a fireworks display.
Anti-terror police swooped in as the city was put on lockdown and residents were warned to stay indoors for their safety. Gunshots rang out in the streets, with gunmen targeting hotels and cafes in the port city in the south of France.
One witness called Antoine said: 'We were at the Neptune beach and a firework display had just finished. That is when we saw a white lorry. It was going quickly at 60-70 kilometres an hour.'
The gunman jumped out of the truck after ploughing through the pedestrians and began opening fire, witnesses said. Officials said the driver was shot dead near the scene. A second suspect is thought to be on the run.
Eyewitness Wassim Bouhlel said that he saw a truck drive into the crowd and then witnessed the man emerge with a gun and start shooting.
'There was carnage on the road,' Bouhlel said. 'Bodies everywhere.

Quote:A truck ploughed through a large group of people in Nice during a suspected terrorist attack which claimed 'dozens of lives'

Quote:Horrific images depicting men and women lying on the side of a road close to the Promenade des Anglais

Quote:A spokesman for the Alpes Maritime prefecture advised locals to 'stay indoors' as gunfire was heard, and a lorry was driven into a crowd on the Promenade des Anglais.
Eyewitnesses said there were 'bodies everywhere' with at least 100 people injured. 
The truck driver crashed his vehicle and jumped out and started shooting.
Police are also searching for an accomplice.
At this stage, police are describing the incident as 'a major criminal attack'. 
Sebastian Humbert, prefect for the Alpes - Martime area said: 'A truck rammed into the crowd over a long distance, which explains this extremely heavy toll.'


He said the driver has been shot dead by police. They are currently hunting for a second attacker.

The Gendarmerie Nationale tweeted: 'Emergency operation in progress. Keep calm and avoid downtown area. Follow the official accounts to be informed.' 

Bodies could be seen lying on the floor by the beach, as the police and other emergency services tried to deal with a mass panic. 

British holidaymaker Esther Serwah, 59, was staying in a hotel a short walk from the scene.

She said she had been on her way to the Promenade des Anglais for dinner with her daughters when people started screaming at her.

Mrs Serwah, from Surrey, said: 'I was just walking to the Promenade and then I saw everybody running and I just didn't know what was going on.

'People were screaming at me in French but I didn't understand.

'Some people were lying on the streets dead and people were running over the bodies.

'Everybody was saying it's a terrorist attack. It's just horrible, horrible, horrible.

'I'm in shock. I'm still shaking.'