Deadly start to 2025: 10 killed, 30 injured after car plows into revellers in New Orleans 

Ten people were killed and 30 injured when a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans’ famed Canal and Bourbon Street in the first hours of New Year’s Day, according to NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness agency. 

The City of New Orleans said in a statement posted online that 30 people were transported to area hospitals with injuries and 10 people were confirmed dead. 

According to reports from US network CBS, a white truck crashed into the victims at high speed while they were celebrating the New Year. The driver then got out and began firing a weapon. Police then returned fire.

New Orleans police earlier said they were responding to a mass casualty incident, including fatalities. NOLA Ready advised people to stay away from the area. It said the injured had been taken to five local hospitals. 

Witnesses described the driver of the vehicle deliberately driving into the crowd before exiting the car and opening fire. The incident has sent shockwaves through the city, as emergency responders, including Nola Ready – the city’s emergency preparedness department – were quickly on the scene.  

The incident came toward the end of New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans and hours before the kickoff of the AllState Bowl, a college football quarterfinal held in the city’s Caesars Superdome, with thousands expected to be in attendance. 

Louisiana governor condemned the ‘horrific act’ in New Orleans. Governor Jeff Landry in a post on X said that he is “praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area”. 

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has released initial information on the attack that killed 10 people early on New Year’s Day. “We do know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack,” Cantrell said, noting the incident is still under investigation