The French government will launch an inquiry into security arrangements in Nice during the Bastille Day celebration when a man slammed a truck at a celebrating crowd, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Thursday.
In a statement announcing the inquiry, Cazeneuve said the French government owed the victims and their families “transparency and truth.”
Authorities have been facing increasing criticism over potential security flaws for the July 14 National Day celebrations in Nice, after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a truck into a crowd following a fireworks display, killing 84 people and injuring hundreds.
Cazeneuve stressed that the security in place on July 14 corresponded with what was agreed in preparatory meetings between the prefecture and the town hall, in accordance with the police, as is the case for all major public events where there is a security risk.
Cazeneuve confirmed that there was a barrier in place to divert traffic 400 meters from the party on the promenade. This barrier was infiltrated by the attacker’s truck as it mounted the pavement.
There was also another control point made up of two police vehicles some tens of meters away from the entertainment site. Six police officers were manning the checkpoint and were the first to intervene as the truck approached. Three of them followed the truck and successfully neutralized the driver within two minutes.
“The national police stationed on the promenade on the evening of July 14 were heroic,” Cazeneuve said and saluted “their immense courage.”