Ottawa officials weigh in on Toronto van attack

Officials in Ottawa were reacting Monday after a van struck multiple pedestrians on a sidewalk in Toronto, killing 10 people.

Toronto officials said the attack, which also left 16 others injured, happened near the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue around 1:30 p.m.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson extended his condolences on Twitter to those affected.

"My thoughts are with those affected by the tragic and senseless incident that took place in Toronto this afternoon. I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and my thoughts to those injured," he said.

Police chief Charles Bordeleau also expressed his condolences and said they were still waiting to hear details as Toronto police investigated.

He said large planned gatherings in Ottawa now usually use concrete barricades or heavy equipment to block vehicles from committing similar attacks.

"We do have mitigation measures because we know that there are individuals, as we have seen in other jurisdictions, who use this type of approach to kill people," he said. "The reality of the situation is that in our day-to-day lives there are individuals who want to cause harm and use this tactic."