As thousands celebrated France's national holiday late into the evening in Nice on the French Riviera, a white truck menacingly stalked a crowd of revellers, revving its engines before mowing them down from behind.
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At least 84 people have been killed and around 100 more injured, including at least 30 children, in an act world leaders have decried as terrorism when the armed man, ploughed the truck into the crowd on the waterfront Promenade des Anglais before continuing for two kilometres through the panicked throng.
The driver of the truck has been named by French media as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.
Local newspaper Nice-Matin wrote the 31-year-old, who is the father of a young child, lived in northern Nice but was of Tunisian origin. His apartment was searched by police on Friday morning local time as officers spoke to his relatives.
Bouhlel, believed to be a delivery driver, is thought to have hired the truck that was used in the attack in a nearby town one day earlier.
The attack is thought to be by a single person, but police are investigating whether he had accomplices. Some US authorities view the Islamist terror organisation Islamic State as a factor, but the organisation has not made any claims about the act so far.
Supporters of IS rejoiced on social media at news of the attack.
Bouhlel reportedly opened fire at pedestrians who were running for their lives as he weaved across the road targeting victims at high speed, estimated to be 60km/h to 70km/h.
Stephanie Simpson, the communications director of the Foundation Lenval children's hospital, told Associated Press that children were admitted with injuries including fractures and head injuries.
"Some are still life and death," she said.
Ms Simpson told the BBC that the hospital activated a crisis team at 11pm, with 60 staff rushing to the hospital.
Some surgeons and nurses arrived to treat their own children.
"Right now we can say that we had 30 kids that were brought to our emergency room, and unfortunately we have already two deaths out of those 30 kids that were brought to our emergency room," Ms Simpson said.
"We have a great array of injuries. I know some are still in life emergencies."
As world leaders condemned the attack, both US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton escalated their rhetoric against Islamic extremists, describing a state of "war". French Interior Minister Bernard Cazaneuve said the country is "at war with terrorists".
French President Francois Hollande denounced the "monstrous" killings, extending a state of emergency in place since last year's Paris nightclub attacks for another three months.
He warned of an escalation of military engagement against extremists in Syria and Iran. No group had claimed responsibility by late on Friday.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced the country will have three days of national mourning. "We are facing a war that terrorism brings ... the only answer should be that of a united France," he said.
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop urged Australians to exercise vigilance in France: "We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in France," she said.
Australian tourist Tori Anderson was in a tour bus and decided to get off and walk back to her hotel.
"Suddenly you could hear screaming ... I turned around and behind me was this big truck," she told Channel 9.
"My friend and I just looked to the side and the bodies directly beside us got pulled under the truck. Bodies were flying...
"As soon as we started running, all we could hear was gunshots. The only thing we could really do was jump off the promenade and land on the rocks down below. There was a couple of hundred people pushing everyone off the edge of the promenade.
"All we could hear was a gun firing. This man was swerving all across the road with a gun out the window just shooting anything and running anything down on the road that he could."
After leaving a two kilometre trail of carnage, the bullet ridden truck was eventually stopped following a shoot-out with police that left Bouhlel dead. Local media reported the driver shouted "Allahu Akbar" – God is greatest – according to the Britain's Telegraph.
Police found identity papers in the cab of the truck belonging to a 31-year-old man who was born in Tunisia but lived in Nice, and had dual French-Tunisian citizenship, according to Reuters.
The driver was reportedly known to police for violence and use of weapons, but had not previously been linked with terrorism.
"France has been struck on the day of her national holiday – the 14th of July, Bastille Day – the symbol of liberty, because human rights are denied by fanatics and France is clearly their target," President Hollande said in an emotional national address.
"There's no denying the terrorist nature of this attack of yet again the most extreme form of violence.
"We have seen extreme violence and it's obvious we must do everything to fight this terrorism.
"Following this, we will show real force and military action in Syria and Iraq."
Asked on the Fox Network if he would move to declare war on the Islamic State, presumptive Republican US presidential nominee Mr Trump replied: "I would. This is war. If you look at it, this is war."
Democrat Mrs Clinton said: "This is a war against these terrorist groups, these radical jihadist groups."
The attack in Nice came eight months after 130 people were killed in co-ordinated attacks in Paris last November on a stadium, bars and a concert at the Bataclan nightclub.
Some 228 people have now been killed in French attacks in 18 months. There have been 10 terrorist attacks in France since 2012.
President Hollande said the state of emergency would be extended by three months, allowing the French government to approve home detention and searches without court orders.
The emergency laws have already been extended three times, to include events such as the Euro 2016 football tournament, after being implemented in response to the November attacks in Paris.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has extended Australia's "deepest sympathies and condolences" to the people of France. "Only eight months ago we mourned for the victims of terrorist attacks in Paris," he said in a statement. "Now once again we mourn for the victims of another murderous act of terror in France overnight."
US President Barack Obama said: "I condemn in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice."
French terrorism investigators were continuing to look for a motive.
The French flag was flying on the Sydney Harbour Bridge late on Friday in honour of the victims.
With Georgina Mitchell and agencies
