Vancouver journalist describes panic of first minutes following attack in Nice, France

Adrian Brijbassi was just getting into Nice's waterfront when he saw panicked people running away from the festivities.

The Vancouver-based journalist didn't know at first, but he had just missed the deadly attack on Bastille Day festivities in the city.

At least 70 people celebrating France's national holidaywere killed when a truck was driven into crowd sof people.

• Truck plows into Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, up to 75 believed dead
• Bastille Day celebrations were a 'family event,' says Canadian in Nice

"As I got closer, I was the only person walking down, I kinda got an eerie feeling that something was up," he told CBC'sOn The Coast guest host Michelle Eliot.

"The scary part is we hear, 'gunshots! gunshots!' and a whole lot of sirens going off."

It wasn't until a friend in Vancouver messaged him the news that he realized what had happened.

He saw mostly young people running into bars, hotels and restaurants that were closing down but reopened to let people in.

"It's pretty intense. I think people were a little concerned that something else might happen, especially when you hear people keep saying, 'Gunshots! Gunshots!' And because it's Bastille Day, it could be fireworks," he said.

Brijbassi says the streets are now emptied aside from military personnel.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:''Gunshots! gunshots!' and a whole lot of sirens going off:' Vancouver journalist in Nice describes attack