A Russian woman was killed in a deadly terror attack that struck France’s southern city of Nice overnight, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Friday.
Victoria Savchenko, a student at the Financial University Under the Government of the Russian Federation, was visiting Nice with her friend and fellow student Polina Serebryannikova, who was injured during the attack and was taken to hospital, the Interfax news agency reported, citing university representatives.
A truck crashed into a crowd that had gathered to watch the Bastille Day fireworks show late Thursday, killing at least 84 people.
The whereabouts of three more Russian citizens who reportedly attended the celebrations is unknown.
The driver managed to travel about 2 kilometers along the waterfront before he stopped and was killed by police officers after a short gunfight.
Two more Russian citizens — a young couple heading for their hotel after they left the celebration — turned from the waterfront just a few seconds before the terrorist’s truck drove down the street, RIA Novosti reported.
"We saw fireworks, and people were shouting. First, I thought that they were enjoying the fireworks, but they were screams of people who tried to flee from the truck," a young man said.
Russia’s Rostourism agency has advised Russian tourists in France to avoid leaving their hotels unless it is absolutely necessary, stay clear of large crowds and follow the instructions of local authorities. In a statement, the agency estimated that there could be up to “tens of thousands” of Russian tourists currently holidaying during peak season in the French resort town.
According to some reports, the terrorist — a 31-year-old French-Tunisian man — may be connected to Islamic State, though no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, RIA Novosti reported.
The Islamic State is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
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