CSU students in Nice, France, during truck attack are safe, officials said

More than 20 Cal State University students – including 11 from Cal State Long Beach – studying abroad in Nice, France, are safe after an attack there left 84 dead and another 202 wounded, CSU officials said Friday.

The students were traveling in the South of France this week as part of an aual summer arts program. They had arrived on Tuesday.

In addition to those from CSULB, eight of the students attend Cal State Fullerton and one is enrolled at Cal State Los Angeles, CSU spokeswoman Toni Molle said.

“Everyone met quickly after the incident happened and again (Friday) moing,” she said, “which is when the group decided to cancel a plaed field trip to the home of (French artist) Henri Matisse and stay in their studio instead.”

A post on a Facebook page for the program confirmed all 27 students and four faculty members were safe. (Six of the students are faculty and community members enrolled in the program, but do not attend a CSU.) Those leading the course include two faculty members from CSULB and two from CSUF.

“It’s an incredible tragedy in France, and our thoughts are with those affected,” the post read. “We are incredibly grateful that all our students and faculty are safe.”

CSULB President Jane Close Conoley also tweeted confirmation of the group’s safety early Friday.

“Our 11 Beach students and 1 faculty member in Nice are all safe. Relieved but of course horrified,” she wrote.

News of the students’ safety came as a relief to the local community, left stued after losing CSULB design student Nohemi Gonzalez in the Nov. 13 terror attacks, which killed 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and cafes, and the national stadium in Paris.

VIDEO: Cal State Long Beach holds vigil for student killed in Paris attacks

The CSU students will remain in Nice through Aug. 3, Molle said, adding that everyone in the program said they were comfortable staying in France after the attack.

“So far, no one has requested to come home but if they do, the CSU will do whatever we need to do to get them home,” she said.

Advertisement

- - , .
.