·         A truck plowed into large crowds in Nice, France, who were celebrating Bastille Day.

·         At least 70 people were killed, French officials said.

·         A local official said the truck was “loaded with arms and grenades.”

A truck crashed into a crowd of Bastille Day celebrants in the French city of Nice Thursday night, killing at least 70 people and injuring dozens more, according to local officials and media.

Police shot and killed the truck driver, Reuters reported.

The driver’s motive was not immediately clear, but region president Cristian Estrosi said the truck was “loaded with arms and grenades,” according to The Associated Press.

Eric Gaillard / Reuters

French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck that ran into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on Thursday in Nice, France.

Sylvie Toffin, local prefecture spokesman, told the AP that officials believe the crash was deliberate. “It was an attack,” she said, without elaborating.

Counterterrorism officials have taken over the investigation, HuffPost France reported.

Taggeschau.de

An image from a video shows the large truck as it plows through a crowd a people in Nice, France.

“There was carnage on the road,” Nice resident Wassim Bouhlel told the AP. “Bodies everywhere.”

A reporter from Agence France-Presse saw a white truck driving at high speed, hitting pedestrians and sending debris into the air. Crowds had gathered along the promenade to watch a fireworks display for the French holiday. Images posted on social media showed people running through the streets of the southern French city.

Local newspaper Nice-Matin posted images of a white truck at the scene and said the vehicle was riddled with bullets.

VALERY HACHE via Getty Images

Police officers stand near the truck that ran into dozens of people in Nice. Its windshield is riddled with bullets.

Witness who barely escaped: Truck zig-zagged, aiming to kill as many as possible.Moved fast, tore down trees & posts https://t.co/IbLrS5R7NI

— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) July 14, 2016

“All of the images we all saw from Paris, we are living them now here,” David Haziza, a Nice resident, told French TV station iTélé.

“My husband picked up the kids and started running,” Linda, another witness who did not provide a last name, told iTélé over the phone. “I turned around and just saw so many dead people. I even saw a baby with its head totally crushed.”

Police urged residents to stay indoors, and medical teams were on the scene, the AFP said. 

Les secours sont à pied d’oeuvre à Magnan #AttaquesNice pic.twitter.com/vDpJQoFvr6

— Nice-Matin (@Nice_Matin) July 14, 2016

French President Francois Hollande headed to Paris for a crisis meeting after the crash, and said he would convene an emergency government summit at 9 a.m. local time Friday.

President Barack Obama released a statement Thursday evening calling the attack “horrific” and saying his administration is “in touch with French officials” and has offered to help their investigation. U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump also offered their support to victims and solidarity with France.

Statement by @POTUS on the Attack in Nice, France pic.twitter.com/Pp8b6UHVZO

— Ned Price (@Price44) July 14, 2016

Social media users shared offers of help and shelter to people caught up in the mayhem, using the hashtag #PortesOuvertesNice. Some people took shelter in the lobby of a Nice hotel.

Facebook activated its safety check feature for people in Nice to assure friends they are safe. Concerned friends and relatives appealed for news about loved ones in Nice on Twitter using the hashtags #RechercheNice and  #RecherchesNice.

Mouvement de panique !! #Nice pic.twitter.com/RgXar3fWZs

— HARP DETECTIVES (@harp_detectives) July 14, 2016