NICE, July 15 (Sputnik) – Two Russians in Nice were lucky to escape unharmed as a truck rammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the city on Thursday night, one of the witnesses told RIA Novosti.
"When I saw what was happening, that a crowd of people was running towards us away from the truck, we turned around and ran towards our hotel, then people started running faster because shooting started," the young Russian man, who was on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice on Thursday night recalled.
The man said the truck eventually stopped not far from the spot where he and his female Russian friend were standing when they heard the first screams on Thursday night.
Local residents are saying that the driver of the truck had an accomplice who managed to escape, the man said.
The deadly attack occurred on Promenade des Anglais in Nice on Thursday night, when a white truck rammed into a large crowd of people that was celebrating Bastille Day and watching fireworks.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that 80 people, including children, were killed in the attack. Dozens of others were injured and 18 of the wounded are in grave condition, according to Cazeneuve.
According to BFM TV, the truck travelled across a distance of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) smashing people.
The driver was shot dead by police. According to ID documents found inside the truck, he was a 31-year-old man who was a resident of Nice of Tunisian origin.
Weapons and grenades were found inside of the truck, President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Christian Estrosi said.
Anti-terrorism prosecutors are now investigating the attack. French President Francois Hollande said that the "terrorist nature" of the attack cannot be excluded and that the state of emergency introduced in France following the November terrorist attacks will now be extended for three more months.
An unanimous source told RIA Novosti that one Russian was killed in the Nice attack while another one was injured.
