‘We're all safe‚’ say staff at top SA restaurant in Nice

French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck July 15, 2016 that ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday on the Promenade des Anglais killing at least 60 people in Nice, France, July 14. Picture credits: Reuters
French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck July 15, 2016 that ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday on the Promenade des Anglais killing at least 60 people in Nice, France, July 14. Picture credits: Reuters

Staff at a restaurant in Nice run by acclaimed South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen are all safe following the rampage by a gunman who killed at least 84 people in France.

Van Der Westhuizen and his business partner own the South African-themed restaurant‚ called JAN‚ in the Riviera city‚ where the man went on a killing spree‚ driving a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

Also read: Nice truck attack death toll rises to 84: interior ministry (PHOTOS)

“The whole team is safe. Our condolences to the families affected by this horrible tragedy‚” he tweeted in response to a question about their safety from a chef based in Switzerland.

Head chef Kevin Grobler told TMG Digital by phone from the restaurant on Friday that staff were working at the time of the attack‚ while Van der Westhuizen is in South Africa.

“All of us are safe. Jan is in South Africa at the moment. We were all working when everything happened‚ but we’re all safe‚” he said.

Earlier this year‚ the restaurant was awarded one of the world’s most coveted culinary accolades‚ a Michelin star.

Another South African‚ Henri Meistre‚ posted an account on Facebook of how his family narrowly avoided the tragedy.

“In Nice..... All of us ok...we stood just to the left of where the truck came to a standstill‚” he said.

“The little street store in the pics shown on the news stations is where we bought some sweets a few minutes earlier...attached some photos of all of us in the exact spot minutes earlier. Mayhem broke out and we all just ran away from the Promenade des Anglaise.”

 

– TMG Digital

 

 

 

 

 

 

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