The shocking aftermath of the terror attacks in Nice last which left 84 people dead and 100 injured
A DERRY man who witnessed a truck crashing into a crowd in Nice last night has described the “panic” at the scene.
Paddy Mullan is in Nice on holiday with his girlfriend.
The French Interior Ministry have confirmed at least 84 dead, 100 injured and 18 of those critically injured.
The truck drove at speed for over a mile hurtling through the crowds as 40,000 people lined the main street for the Bastille Day celebrations.
Paddy was standing on the city’s Promenade des Anglais when he saw the truck approaching.
“This lorry just mounted the kerb, across the street from us and the next thing, all you could hear was banging and shouting and screaming,” he said.
He said he had “never seen” such fear.
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, he said: “There was a lot of panic at one stage because we were right in the mix when all this was happening,” Mr Mullan told BBC Radio Foyle.
“There was a lot of confusion, misdirection, because we didn’t know what exactly was happening, why it was happening.”
The attack coincided with Bastille Day, a national holiday in France, and thousands of people had gathered on the streets to watch a fireworks display.
The couple had been in a nearby restaurant on the last night of their holiday, before going out on the promenade to watch display.
As they walked back towards the restaurant, Mr Mullan said the truck “came out nowhere” and started “ploughing” into the crowd.
“There were people coming, running up screaming and coming into the restaurant trying to get away, so we didn’t know what it was.
Paddy Mullan and his girlfriend are holidaying in Nice when terror attack happened
“We didn’t know if it was people on the ground shooting or if there was a bomb, or what was going on, we were just trying to get away.”
Mr Mullan and his girlfriend then “bailed out” of the restaurant through a side exit and went through barriers into an apartment complex behind the building.
“We were pushing all the buzzers to try and get into the apartment blocks,” he said. “Eventually we got in.”
He said there were many others in the same building and lots of confusion but after a while, a woman who spoke English explained to the couple what had happened.
“We were just desperately trying to get back to our apartment, Mr Mullan said.
“I’ve never seen fear like it in all my life and probably never will again.”
The 31-year-old Tunisian driver of the truck was shot dead by French police at the scene.
He was known to French police for violence and theft but not for terrorism.
There are reports officers found grenades and guns in the rear of the white truck.
The terror truck brought to a halt by armed police who shot dead the 31-year-old driver