At least 15 people lost their lives and over 35 were injured in New Orleans after a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd during the early hours of New Year’s Day and opened fire when his vehicle came to a halt.

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As per media reports, the injured have been admitted to different hospitals. As per a report by CNN, the suspect behind the attack was shot dead by law enforcement officers. 

Around 3:15 a.m. local time, a man drove down Bourbon Street “at a very fast pace” and “was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday. “This is not a DUI situation.”

Kirkpatrick said that 35 injured people were taken to hospitals but that more victims could have been taken to other hospitals.

The driver, who went around barricades to crash into the crowd, also fired on officers after he crashed the vehicle, Kirkpatrick said; two officers were shot but are in stable condition.

“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” Kirkpatrick said.

"The 8th District is currently working a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street. There are 30 injured patients... and 10 fatalities," NOLA Ready, the New Orleans emergency preparedness program, said in a statement.

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The event happened at approximately 3:15 am on Wednesday (January 1) at the intersection of Bourbon Street and Iberville. According to police, the accident appeared to be intentional. As per local media reports, the majority of the victims are local.

Also read: India: Man shoots video after killing mother, 4 sisters in Lucknow hotel on New Year's Eve

Driver who rammed his truck into crowd now deceased: FBI

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The FBI said the driver who killed at least 10 people when he rammed his truck into a crowd on the popular Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday is dead.

Officials said the man fired at officers after he crashed the vehicle. Two officers were shot and are in stable condition.

“The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased,” the FBI statement reads.

The FBI is leading the investigation. As per a Reuters report, the FBI is investigating the tragedy “as an act of terrorism.”

"A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area," Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on X. 

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident "a terrorist attack." Earlier, the FBI said that "this is not a terrorist event". 

However, as per the FBI, "improvised explosive devices" were found on scene.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, the White House said in a statement. It added that the president has been in touch with New Orleans mayor.

According to CBS News, the vehicle was reportedly a truck that sped into a crowd, crashing at high speed. Following the crash, the driver got off the vehicle and began shooting, during which two officers got shot, CBS News reported, citing witnesses. 

"This man, this perpetrator, he fired on our officers from his vehicle when he crashed his vehicle. Two of our officers have been shot. They are stable," Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told a news conference.

"Initial reports indicate a car may have ploughed into a group of people. While injuries are currently unconfirmed, there are reported fatalities," New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) spokesperson was cited saying by local media earlier.

Also read: German Christmas market attack: Magdeburg raises over $600K for victims

Bourbon Street, a popular nightlife spot, has been closed off as authorities investigate the incident.

The tragedy comes just days after a similar incident at a Christmas market in Germany, where five people were killed and 205 others were injured.

In that case, a 50-year-old doctor, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, drove his BMW into a crowded market in the city of Magdeburg on 20 December.

(With inputs from agencies)