Moment of silence held for Nice attack victims as ASEM summit kicks off

Leaders gathering for the first session of the 2016 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) stood for a moment of silence on Friday (July 15) after a deadly attack in the southern French city of Nice.

“All the participants of the 11th ASEM summit, we are together with the people of France and the people of Europe. I think it’s appropriate to begin our session with one minute silence,” said Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

An attacker killed up to 80 people and injured scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city late on Thursday (July 14), officials said.

Counter-terrorist investigators were seeking to identify the driver, who a local government official said opened fire before police shot him dead. The official said weapons and grenades were found inside the 25-tonne, unmarked truck.

The attack, which came eight months and a day after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris, appeared so far to be the work of a lone assailant.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016