Ten years after the Nice attack: Emergency doctor recalls the night of July 14

Nice – 14 July 2026: Ten years after the attack on the Promenade des Anglais, memories of a night that left a deep mark on the city are once again taking center stage in Nice. Emergency doctor Benoit Develey describes his experiences from the hours following the attack in a recent radio interview. It is a personal look back, but also an account of the work of those responders who had to act under extreme pressure at the time.

On the evening of July 14, 2016, a truck drove into the crowd gathered on the Promenade des Anglais after the fireworks for the French national holiday. Eighty-six people were killed and more than 400 injured. The attack was among the deadliest terrorist attacks in France’s recent history. Children and teenagers were among the victims.

For emergency services, hospitals and volunteer responders, a night began in which every decision carried weight. Treating the large number of injured people required an extraordinary mobilization of medical staff in Nice. Hospitals reorganized their capacity, staff were called back, and psychological emergency teams were deployed. Many of the people who worked that night still carry those images with them today.

Develey’s memories shift the focus away from the attack itself and toward the people exposed to it: the injured, relatives, passers-by and emergency responders. This perspective in particular makes clear that, for those affected, an anniversary can be more than a date on the calendar. It can bring back memories that often have no place in everyday life, while also raising the question of how a city continues after such a rupture.

Commemorative events are planned in Nice for the tenth anniversary. The city is working with several local victims’ associations. State authorities are also remembering those killed and injured. The public tribute is intended to give relatives and survivors space without allowing their personal suffering to be overshadowed by a mere ceremony.

The consequences of the attack extend beyond the immediate injuries. Studies into the health situation of hospital staff and students in Nice have shown how severely people can also be affected when they encounter such an event as responders or witnesses. This led to support services that combine medical and psychological assistance.

Ten years later, the Promenade des Anglais once again stands for the life of an open Mediterranean city. Yet on July 14, it also becomes a place of quiet remembrance. Emergency doctor Benoit Develey’s recollections show that behind the official figures lie individual fates – and people who tried to provide help on a chaotic night.