Belgium: Car crashes into carnival group – six dead, dozens injured!
In the Belgian town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, a vehicle drove into a group of people at a carnival event. Six people were killed in the accident around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning.
A child is said to be among the victims. It is also said, citing the police, that it was apparently a dramatic accident. The public prosecutor’s office has now ruled out a terrorist background.
37 people were injured. Ten of them are still in mortal danger. According to the mayor, the driver initially drove on, but was then stopped and arrested along with his passenger.
According to prosecutors, the occupants of the car could face murder charges. They were previously unknown to the authorities and were born in 1988 and 1990 respectively.
According to the Dutch newspaper AD, which in turn cites RTL Info, the carnival parade should start at 11 a.m. The car is said to have driven into the group from behind near a sports hall.
A moderator from the Belgian radio station RTL, who took part in the carnival event, reported on dramatic scenes. According to him, the car drove into the middle of the crowd. “There was music and laughter and three seconds later it was screams. It was terrible,” the broadcaster quoted him as saying.
According to the moderator’s estimates, around 150 people attended the “Ramassage des Gilles” on Sunday morning. People go from house to house to gather for the carnival. The central figure is the “Gilles”, who traditionally wear wax masks with painted glasses and a little beard.
According to the mayor of La Louvière, the municipal emergency plan was triggered and the victim support service activated. Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden wrote on Twitter that her deepest condolences go to the families and friends of those killed and injured. “What was supposed to be a great party turned into a drama.” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also expressed his sympathy and spoke of “terrible news” from Strépy-Bracquegnies.
The Belgian royal family tweeted: “Our sympathy and support goes out to the victims of the Strépy-Bracquegnies accident, their families and loved ones. Thank you to the emergency services for helping those affected. Our thoughts are with you.”
The events in Belgium are reminiscent of the horror of the Shrove Monday parade two years ago in Volkmarsen in northern Hesse. At that time, 88 people, including 26 children, were seriously injured when a driver deliberately crashed into the Shrove Monday train. The perpetrator has since been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the Belgian news agency Belga, the carnival season in La Louvière only started at the beginning of March after strict corona restrictions were lifted. In 2020 and 2021 the carnival had to be canceled completely due to Corona.
