THE FACT OF THE DAY. The festivities of July 14 were stopped abruptly when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel arrived at full speed at the wheel of a 19 t. Story of an evening that turned into a nightmare.
U n crazy truck launched into the crowd, a handful of minutes and dozens of devastated lives … in the sweetness of a July 14 Nice along the Bay of Angels succeeded chaos. The smiles of the children, horror and tears. Linda, a Switzerland of 54, customs inspector. Fatima, Moroccan and Niçoise 60 years, mother of seven children. Emmanuel, 48, commissioner of the PAF. Michael, a professor Lorraine, 28, and three of his relatives … According to the preliminary assessment given yesterday to 17 hours by the prosecutor François Molins, 84 people, including ten children and adolescents, died Thursday night in Nice (Alpes- Maritimes). Of the 202 injured, 52 people were in absolute emergency, including 25 in intensive care. Story.
“It was a cool evening …”
On the Promenade des Anglais, fire fireworks has just ended. It is 22 h 30. Some 30 000 people – tourists, Nice and foreign tourists – came to admire the spectacle. Along the famous avenue bordering the sea, part of which was a pedestrian zone, it walks with family, with friends or solo. tempos of the concerts of the Prom ‘Party punctuate the night. “It was a cool evening. The atmosphere was good. The fire pretty neat trick. The kids were throwing pebbles into the water … “describes Damien German journalist” Nice-Matin “whose moving testimony has traveled the web.
Suddenly, from the neighborhood Magnan, a white truck appeared on the promenade des Anglais. It is about 22 h 45. This is a 19 t, launched at high speed, vehicle type frigorique. At the wheel, one man: Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel. The Tunisian, 31, married and a father, delivery driver by profession, lives in Nice. The machine with which he will sow death was rented on 11 July in a company of Saint-Laurent-du-Var and was due on 13 July. That day, CCTV images show him stationed in the area Auriol, east of Nice. 14, at 21 h 34, Lahouaiej Bouhlel comes back. “He arrived alone, bicycle,” said Thursday the Paris prosecutor. At 22 h 30, the truck arrives at Magnan district. Then heads to the waterfront …
“I saw bodies flying …”
“In the distance, a sound. Cries … A split second later, a huge truck was traveling at breakneck speed on people, giving flying shots to mow as many people … I saw bodies flying like bowling pins on his way. Heard noises, screams that I will never forget, “explains Damien German. “I heard a boom , I turned around and there I saw a truck that was heading and body fluttering. He was driving fast. It was horrible. I saw a father with his 2 year old child in her arms. The boy was dead, “says Najate, a Niçoise 52 years. “He traced straight for 2 km. It was absolute chaos, “entrust other witnesses.
” The surreal ride began outside the security perimeter, “said a police union present in the festivities with his family. The killer truck hits his first victim shortly after the Lenval hospital. How he then entered the enclosed area and pedestrian zone left last night uncertain. From the balcony of his hotel, a German journalist filming this terrible scene where a scooter rider makes a desperate attempt to stop the truck, opening his door. “But it fell and went under the wheels …” On land, this witness saw twelve bodies on the asphalt. Panic seized the crowd.
“Terrorists! They are terrorists “
The truck zigzagging between the sidewalk and the road, violently hitting many victims. At the height of the Negresco hotel, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel draws repeatedly on three police, who retaliated. He still travels 300 meters before being stopped before the palace of the Mediterranean. “I saw this happen truck 10 meters from us. I told everyone: Run, run There was gunfire!. We went to bed, hidden behind the posts, “portrays Laurent, located at that place with his girlfriend Joy and two daughters.
” Bombings, attacks! “Yells the crowd. People rush to the beach, in the sea. “They went crazy,” describes Laroussi, a Tunisian tourist. “I saw a small cut in half, his stroller remained intact,” it is moved, terrified. Others took refuge in restaurants or begging for someone to open the door of a building … “Terrorists, they are terrorists! “Intends Valery Hache, an AFP photographer rushed to the scene. He sees the truck stopped, “the windshield riddled with impacts, surrounded by police.” Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was “found dead in the passenger seat,” specify the prosecutor Molins. His bike and eight empty pallets will be discovered in the rear. In total, throughout his career, from 30 to 50 shots were made by eight or nine police officers.
Damien German coffee spring where he had sheltered. He crosses “Raymond, the tears in fifty,” which whispers: “There are dead everywhere. ” ” He was right. Just behind him, lifeless body, members … Blood. Groans. “Valery Hache advances as it upstream of the vehicle:” It’s everywhere. Some are so menus. Children. “
” In its wake, it was a dead field “
Pierre Rousseau, photographer
Nice and professional photographer, Pierre Rousseau had come to attend the fireworks “for fun”. As he was leaving, near the Hotel Negresco, he witnessed the passage of the truck on the Promenade des Anglais. His photographs reflect the absolute horror of Thursday night. His account also. “Like any good Nice, I went to see the fireworks with my wife. We had parked our motorbikes on the Promenade des Anglais. The finished show, we quietly walked back to the scooter. We were going to put our helmets when I saw a truck and tumbled down when I heard screams and breaking noises. Before me, this truck has smashed a lamp, he wanted to ride on the sidewalk, but he could not, then it is ironed on the street. I ran behind. In its wake, it was a field of corpses … From the moment I saw him, he had to drive about 300 m. But that’s where he did the most damage because it is tucked into a crowd that was still dense. I first said: It’s crazy, what’s he doing here? He lost control of his truck? And then I quickly thought of an attack: it is not braked, he was driving very fast. I immediately understood that there would be many victims. I saw bodies that were no longer moving, bodies torn … For me, there were already at least thirty dead. Except I did not know he had started its journey two kilometers high and had already mowed people. It’s a horror, a horror … “
Interview by Guillaume Georges
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