Recollections on Bastille Day Attack in Nice , France 2016 .
By Christopher Evans
In 13th July 2016 I was at the promenade when the terrorist attacks occurred.
For once my bad luck actually saved my life .No one who I was with wanted to go to see the fireworks that evening , so whilst they had an early night I went off to see the event on my own to try out my new camera. At around 8pm I went to the Promenade Anglais , but could see much due to the crowds, so I decided to go to the viewing tower at the far end of the beach. I was there with another family and a few school children they were chaperoning. We didn’t realise that the tower closed at 9.00,and they locked all the gates , effectively locking us inside the viewing viewing area. At 10.30 after the fireworks had finished we found to our horror we were locked in.
Suddenly there were crowds of people screaming and shouting in the streets , police and army cars driving up and down the Promenade. We didn’t know what to think was going on . A Gendarme ( French policeman) that saw us through the gates said to stay where we were for the next few hours and they would open the side entrance when it was safe, as there was trouble further up the beach. At around midnight the gate was unlocked and we climbed down a side exit to the beach. It wasn’t until I had an altercation with a machine gun carrying army officer who in no certain terms told me to get off the streets and I realized the gravity of the situation. We took refuge in an Iranian chicken shop for the rest of the night . It was there on BBC news reports that we realized what had unfolded that night. The full attack happened actually took place where I would have been standing at the start of my evening.
A man named Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a 19-ton cargo truck into crowds gathered on the Promenade des Anglais. He drove for over a mile, deliberately targeting people, killing 86 and injuring more than 400. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was shot dead by police at the scene. The attack was later claimed by ISIS, although it’s debated whether Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had direct links to the group or was inspired by their ideology.
Here's a minute-by-minute rundown of the Nice truck attack:
10:30 PM: The Bastille Day fireworks display begins on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. Thousands of people gather to watch the celebration.
Around 10:45 PM: Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel rents a 19-ton cargo truck from a rental company in Nice.
Approximately 10:55 PM: Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drives the truck onto the Promenade des Anglais, where crowds are still gathered, enjoying the festivities.
10:58 PM: Lahouaiej-Bouhlel accelerates and plows the truck into the crowd, targeting pedestrians along the promenade.
Over the next several minutes: Lahouaiej-Bouhlel continues to drive the truck for more than a mile along the promenade, deliberately striking people in his path.
11:03 PM: Police officers exchange gunfire with Lahouaiej-Bouhlel as he drives the truck, attempting to stop him.
11:04 PM: Lahouaiej-Bouhlel’s truck comes to a halt after he is shot by police officers. He is found dead in the driver’s seat.
Following the attack: Emergency services rush to the scene to provide medical assistance to the injured. The promenade is cordoned off, and an investigation into the attack begins.
In the aftermath: Authorities identify Lahouaiej-Bouhlel as the perpetrator of the attack. They also discover firearms, fake weapons, and jihadist propaganda in his truck and home.
My parents and I recognized the white van driving up the promenade earlier that day, but thought nothing unusual of it until after the fact.
I eventually got back to the hotel about 3am . The next day my parents were in disbelief of what had happened. Press and news network from around the world , reported from the scene of the attack . Many photos of dead or missing revelers on the road side in make shift shrines adjourned with flower, candles and sadly children’s toys. I felt the angels wings that night , and it my own trivial problems that I was facing at the time in perspective. I was alive by a simple twist of fate and I vowed to live and enjoy life what quality of life I had left as tribute to those who did not survive that day.
