Media: New Orleans hit-and-run driver presumed dead after fatal incident UPDATED

The driver responsible for a hit-and-run in New Orleans, which resulted in the deaths of at least 10 pedestrians, is presumed dead.

NBC News, citing law enforcement sources, shared the details of the tragic incident, per Caliber.Az.

The identity and motives of the perpetrator remain unknown, and authorities have not yet provided further information regarding the incident.

17:24

An explosive device was discovered at the location where 10 people were killed in a truck crash involving a crowd in New Orleans. 

According to Caliber.Az, an FBI representative shared the information during a Fox News interview.

It was also reported that two police officers were injured in a shootout with the driver, who fled the scene after the incident.

16:23

At least 10 people have been killed, and around 30 others injured after a vehicle plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on early January 1 morning, according to local police and city officials.

Authorities believe the incident was intentional, though the driver has yet to be apprehended, Caliber.Az reports referring to US media.

"This was a horrific act of violence that took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning," said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who offered prayers for the victims and first responders.

Described as a "mass casualty incident" by the City of New Orleans, the tragedy unfolded around 3:15 a.m. when a vehicle drove into a large crowd at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets.

The city confirmed that 30 injured individuals were transported to five local hospitals, while 10 others tragically lost their lives. The hospitals receiving the injured included University Medical Center, Touro Hospital, East Jefferson General Hospital, Ochsner Medical Center Jefferson Campus, and Ochsner Baptist Campus.

The New Orleans Police Department, which was fully staffed for both New Year's Eve festivities and the Sugar Bowl college football game, had an additional 300 officers on duty from partner agencies.

This incident follows a string of deadly attacks, including the recent tragedy in Magdeburg, Germany, where a man drove into a crowd at a Christmas market on December 21, killing five people — among them a nine-year-old child — and injuring 235 others. Many of the survivors are still grappling with the trauma of that attack.

By Tamilla Hasanova