NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — Witnesses described terrifying scenes of “insanity” that they likened to being in a “war zone” after Wednesday’s early morning vehicle-ramming attack in the US city of New Orleans that killed at least 10 people.

Zion Parsons, 18, told broadcaster CNN he had gone to the city’s historic French Quarter to celebrate New Year’s Eve, and was now desperately trying to reach a friend who was seriously wounded in the attack.

“It was just like a movie. That’s the only way I can explain it,” he said, of the moment a Ford F-150 pick-up truck zoomed toward him through the pedestrian-only area.

He said the truck threw bodies in the air.

“There were bodies and blood and all the trash,” he said, describing scenes of victims crying on the ground in the foetal position after the truck had passed.

“The best way I can describe it is truly a war zone.”

Jimmy Cothran, another witness, told broadcaster ABC he and his friends fled into a building when they heard some sort of commotion.

“When we got on the balcony, what we saw was insanity,” he said. “I mean, something out of a movie. I mean, the graphic nature of it. It was unbelievable.”

He said he counted six people “clearly graphically deceased”, with other victims “yelling with no one around”.

Cothran had no doubt the ramming was intentional, and criticised the lack of barricades to stop vehicles from being able to access the busy area.

US media reported that city authorities had removed the steel barricades that would normally be placed to block traffic around the area as they were being renovated, replacing them with alternative measures.

“We couldn’t understand why no one was helping. I’m trained and certified, and they would not let us out. We just stood by and watched for several moments,” he said.

Kimberly Stricklin and her husband Michael who were visiting from Mobile, Alabama, told
The New York Times that they saw the truck accelerating towards Bourbon Street.

“We heard him punch the gas and then the impact and then the screams,” she said.

“It just took a moment to register, it was just so frightening — it was like something out of a horror movie.”

Stricklin said she was haunted by the screams of one young victim.

“I can’t get over that girl’s screams,” she said.