In the chaos that erupted after the terrorist attack in Nice on July 14, police swept thousands of citizens to safety — as well as U2 frontman Bono, who happened to be nearby during the tragedy.

The U.K.'s Daily Mirror reports that the singer, who owns a home in the area, was enjoying a meal at the Nice restaurant La Petite Maison when violence struck. The tabloid interviewed restaurant owner Anne-Laure Rubi, who described the "silent panic" of the aftermath and said she turned to former Nice mayor Christian Estrosi, who was sitting near Bono.

"Suddenly I saw people running, without shouting," said Rubi. Recalling that she asked Estrosi what was happening, she added, "He was on the phone. He didn’t want to say much. I think he was just learning about the attack."

Thinking quickly, Rubi and her staff closed the shutters of the restaurant and told all the patrons to hide inside; half an hour later, police sweeping the area rescued the gathering and led them to an improvised shelter at Place Masséna, the city's main square.

"Like everybody else, Bono had to put his hands on his head, and was told to remain calm," said an unidentified diner. "The police were clearly very worried that terrorists might still be at large, and everybody was under suspicion."

As previously reported, Bono was also in Paris with U2 during last year's terrorist attack in the city, which included a mass murder at the Bataclan theater. The group postponed their planned concert, staying in the city to honor the dead by visiting the site of the violence.

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