At least two people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, after a “monster truck” plowed into a crowd at an exhibition event in the city of Popayán, in Colombia’s Cauca department, local authorities said overnight between Sunday and Monday. They added that 37 others were injured in the incident.
The Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that the driver of the monster truck, Susana, lost control of the vehicle and struck at least 39 people as it sped toward spectators. Footage from the scene shows people screaming and fleeing, while others are seen tending to the injured and performing resuscitation efforts.
Col. Julián Castañeda, commander of the Popayán police, told the newspaper the incident appears to have been caused by a mechanical failure, as the vehicle accelerated and was unable to brake, leading it to crash into a pole and then into the crowd. He added that the driver is in stable condition.
The Colombian network Caracol reported that the event had originally been scheduled for the previous weekend but was canceled due to public order concerns and was ultimately held this past weekend.