Two pedestrians in Canada killed, nine injured as truck runs them over

OTTAWA - Two men were killed in Canada and nine other pedestrians were injured when they were run over by a truck in a small northern town on Monday, police said.

Quebec police spokeswoman Helene St-Pierre told AFP a 38-year-old man has been arrested and investigators are looking into whether he ran people over on purpose in the Amqui, north of Quebec City.

"Everything indicates that this is an isolated event," she said. "There is no more danger in the area and only one suspect." The incident occurred shortly after 3pm in Amqui's downtown.

The two deceased men are in their 60s and 70s, respectively. Two of the injured are in serious condition. Three children are also among the injured, police said.

Witnesses told local media a truck hit several people on a sidewalk outside a microbrewery, then continued for another 400 to 500 metres along the road, swerving and striking more people.

"My heart is with the people of Amqui, Quebec today," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Twitter message.

"As we learn more about the tragic events that have taken place, I'm keeping everyone affected in my thoughts."

The incident came a month after a bus crashed into a day care center in a Montreal suburb, killing two four-year-old children and leaving six more injured in what police believe was a deliberate act.

In 2018, a Canadian man rammed a rental van into a crowd of pedestrians in downtown Toronto, killing 11 and injuring 16 in the deadliest such attack in Canada's history. - AFP