OTTAWA -- Nine people have been confirmed dead after a car plowed into the crowd at a street festival in Canada's Vancouver on Saturday evening, local police said Sunday.

The Vancouver police said in an X post that they believe this incident was not an act of terrorism.

The tragedy happened shortly after 8 pm (0300 GMT) near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street where the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party was going on.

Local media reported that a black SUV struck individuals who were either walking or waiting near food trucks, leaving multiple victims lying on the ground.

The suspect, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, was arrested at the scene and an investigation is underway.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his shock, saying in his social media account: "I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening. We are monitoring the situation closely."

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today's Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can."

Named after a Filipino indigenous leader who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century, Lapu Lapu Day was officially recognized by the province of British Columbia in 2023 and is widely celebrated by the Filipino community in the province.