Man charged with murder after 11 killed in Vancouver vehicle attack

A man has been charged with multiple counts of murder after 11 people, including a five-year-old child, were killed in a vehicle attack in Vancouver.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, the British Columbia Prosecution Service said. It added that more charges were possible.

Lo, a resident of Vancouver, appeared in court on Sunday and remains in custody.

Investigators have ruled out terrorism as a motive and said Lo has a history of mental health issues.

The suspect was arrested after a black SUV struck a large group of people at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party - named after a national hero of the Philippines - near 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street at around 8.14pm local time on Saturday.

It was the second year the Lapu Lapu festival has been held, with J Rey Soul of the Black Eyed Peas listed among the performers.

Police said there were up to "a few thousand" people in attendance, although the crowd size was fluid.

Footage posted on social media showed victims and debris strewn across a long stretch of road, with several people lying immobile on the ground.

The SUV with a crumpled front section could be seen in photos from the scene.

In a news conference on Sunday, Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Constable Steve Rai said dozens of people were injured, some seriously, and that the number of dead could rise.

He said the victims were aged five to 65 years old, and described the attack as "the darkest day in our city's history".

Later on Sunday, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim joined mourners at a vigil in Kensington Park, near the scene of the attack.

He said: "You can feel it here, the community is devastated."

"We're heartbroken, we're sad, we're scared and there's a bit of anger there too," he added.

"A lot of people are just wondering how this could happen in the city of Vancouver."

The incident came ahead of Canada's election, with voters heading for the polls to choose a new prime minister later on Monday.

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Current prime minister Mark Carney described the incident as a "car ramming attack" during a news conference.

He added: "Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter. Those families are living every family's nightmare."