A hotel staffer working near the incident in New Orleans says the he heard loud banging sounds just before 03:20 am local time during New Year's Eve celebration.

"We were in our room just pretty much closing down for the evening at the end of all the events and everything, and when we looked out the window we noticed there was a lot of bodies lying on the ground," he tells CBS News, the BBC's US news partner.

He saw the truck speeding away and ran downstairs to help.

"There were some people we put into the hotel for assistance and it was just you know... the scene was just horrific."

"Maybe about 35-40 minutes afterwards there was a bomb scare alert and the hotel was then, at that point, evacuated," he explains.

The FBI earlier said they had found possible improvised exploding devices on scene and are checking if they are "viable".

BBC Verify have authenticated footage from a webcam in the French Quarter of New Orleans which appears to show the moment police ran to the scene of the attack.

As we've been reporting, the FBI are investigating a deadly incident in New Orleans this morning when a pick-up truck deliberately drove into a crowd of people, killing ten people and injuring at least 35.

We were expecting to hear some more information from the New Orleans Police Department at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT) but it appears the news conference has been delayed.

As soon as we know more, we'll be here with the latest.

Anna Adams
BBC reporter

This city is famous for its partying and there's no street that's more famous here than Bourbon street.

There are still bodies there on Bourbon street because it's an active crime scene, they have not been removed yet. It's incredibly sombre here and the contrast to what was happening in this city yesterday could not be more stark.

We are expecting a huge college football game tonight so the city was at almost 90% capacity, everywhere was full. I was out here yesterday during the day and there were parades, marching bands, thousands of people on the street celebrating the Sugar Bowl.

It was teeming with people, I was out there last night celebrating new year.

The fact this could have been so brazenly done in a city which is known for its partying and for its drinking culture is really devastating and that's what this city is waking up to this morning, thinking: 'How did this happen here of all places?

US President Joe Biden says he is "grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury".

In a written statement, he adds that he's directed his team to "ensure every resource is available" as officials work to get to the bottom of the situation and "to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind."

"My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities," Biden says.

After releasing the statement, Biden, speaking to reporters, says his reaction to the news was "one of anger and frustration".

We've got more from President-elect Donald Trump's response to the incident in New Orleans.

In a post on social media network, Truth Social, Trump wrote: "When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the fake news media, but it turned out to be true."

Authorities have not confirmed the identity or nationality of the perpetrator in New Orleans. The FBI has confirmed the deadly attack is being investigated as an "act of terrorism" and the suspect is dead.

Trump added in his post: "The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.

"The Trump administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil."

Data from the FBI shows violent crime has been down across America as of 2023. BBC Verify takes a closer look at that data here.

President-elect Donald Trump has issued a statement in response to the incident in New Orleans.

In a post on the social media network, Truth Social, the incoming US leader wrote: "The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before.

"Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump administration will fully support the city of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil."

Image source, Getty Images

The organisers of the annual American college football game played in New Orleans have said they are in "ongoing discussions" with authorities about their match scheduled later on New Year's Day.

Jeff Hundley, CEO of Sugar Bowl, said in a statement: “The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

"We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available," the statement adds.

The BBC's US partner CBS News reports that organisers say that, for now, the game between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Georgia will go ahead as planned.

Rowan Bridge
North America correspondent, Washington DC

Often when a major incident happens, there is confusion and chaos in the immediate aftermath.

We saw that play out in real time today, in the first news conference from police about the pickup truck attack in New Orleans.

At the start of the conference, the city's mayor described what happened as a terrorist incident. Yet minutes later, she was contradicted by an FBI officer, who said it wasn't terrorism.

Authorities then didn't take questions from the media, leaving the situation unclear.

Things were finally clarified within the hour, when the FBI sent out a statement saying they were in fact treating the incident as an "act of terrorism".

I suspect as the day unfolds we'll have more detail filling in exactly what happened and how the investigation is unfolding. This was a day of celebration that has become a tragedy for the city.

The families of victims heading to the University Medical Centre (UMC) are being asked to go to the conference centre on the first floor, the city's emergency preparedness department says.

Family reunification information will be shared here, the statement adds.

Earlier, police said that 26 of the 35 injured are at UMC.

In a statement, US Attorney General Merrick Garland says that the FBI is investigating the incident as an "act of terrorism".

Garland says that his "heart is broken for those who began their year by learning people they love were killed in this horrific attack, and my prayers are with the dozens who were injured, including the New Orleans Police Department Officers who risked their lives to save others."

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana "will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation", he adds.

Our US partner CBS is reporting that investigators are looking into whether the suspect was connected to or inspired by foreign terror groups, according to sources with law enforcement and the City of New Orleans.

They are also analysing potential explosive devices found near the scene, CBS adds.

Image source, AP

Morning has broken in New Orleans (09:37 CST) following a deadly attack overnight which killed ten and left at least 35 injured.

The incident, where a man drove a pick-up truck into a large crowd, occurred at approximately 03:15 local time (09:15 GMT) on New Year's Day in the French Quarter - an area popular with visitors to the city.

Here's the latest:

• The FBI has confirmed they are investigating the attack as an "act of terrorism" and that the person who drove the truck is now dead
• The suspect fired on police from his vehicle and injured two police officers, who are now in stable condition
• The Sugar Bowl college American football match is scheduled tonight at New Orlean's Superdome stadium, one mile away from where the incident took place on Bourbon Street
• Earlier today, New Orleans police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the suspect displayed "very intentional behaviour" and he was "trying to run over as many people as he possibly could"
• We can expect to hear more information from law enforcement at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT)

US President Joe Biden has spoken with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell "to offer full federal support following the horrific news", the White House has said in a statement.

The White House says Biden will continue to be briefed throughout the day.

Image source, Getty Images

The city of New Orleans, in Louisiana, has long been known for is vibrant cultural offerings.

It was established by the French in 1718, and the original grid of streets designed back then are now known as the French Quarter, which is still the heart of tourism in the city.

Every year, upwards of a million people flock to its famous Mardi Gras carnival and parade in the spring, famous for the strings of colourful beads worn by party-goers.

Historically home to a large black community, the area is also known as the birthplace of jazz, making it a hit destination for music lovers.

Later on Wednesday, it is scheduled to host a sold-out college American football game to mark New Year's Day, known as the Sugar Bowl.

But, the city has also faced struggles in recent years.

Later this year will mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the city of New Orleans and left about 80% of it under water.

Almost 2,000 people were killed and one million were displaced in the disaster.

The storm destroyed large parts of the city, and it took years to rebuild.

In more recent years, the population has seen a steady decline. Between 2020 - 2023, it saw the steepest drop of any large metropolitan area in America.

Image source, Getty Images

According to our US partner CBS, law enforcement sources say that investigators have recovered a long gun from the scene.

Image of heavily damaged truck circulating onlinepublished at 14:59 Greenwich Mean Time 1 January

14:59 GMT 1 January

We have been investigating this image of what appears to be the truck which rammed into the crowds last night.

The picture was likely first published today as there are no copies of it on online archives at any earlier date.

The White Ford F-150 Lightning, with a heavily damaged bonnet, has been geolocated to in front of Rick's Cabaret on Bourbon Street, near the intersection with Conti Street.

Louisiana's top state prosecutor, Attorney Liz Murrill, says she is praying for the victims of the attack in New Orleans, and "will ensure they get justice for this appalling act."

In a post on X, she describes the incident as "the brutal intentional slaughter of innocent people celebrating the New Year in New Orleans."

We're starting to get some photos in now of the area around the site of the overnight attack, in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Police have cordoned off the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street - where the attack took place.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images