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A car at high speed rammed into a crowd of people attending the carnival in the town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, in southern Belgium, this Sunday, February 20. At least 6 people died, 10 were seriously injured and dozens suffered minor injuries, local authorities confirmed.
“What should have been a great party turned into a tragedy.” This is how the Minister of the Interior of Belgium, Annelies Verlinden, described the running over of dozens of people by a vehicle, in the south of the country.
The events were recorded when a crowd of people participated in the carnival celebrations in the small town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, about 50 kilometers south of Brussels, the capital.
The speeding car rammed into a group of 150 to 200 carnival performers preparing for the annual folklore parade with costumes and drums.
At least 6 people died in the event and 10 were seriously injured, according to the local Prosecutor’s Office, quoted by the AP agency. In addition, dozens of attendees suffered minor injuries.
“We heard a huge noise (…) and the car literally crashed into the group of people,” said the reporter for the local Bel RTL channel, Fabrice Collignon, who witnessed the incident.
Carnival is very popular in the area. The festivities in nearby Binche have even been declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
At least two people arrested for the fact
The Prosecutor’s Office also reported that two people in their 30s were arrested for these events.
“A car at high speed crashed into the crowd (…) The driver continued on his way, but we intercepted him,” added the local mayor, Jacques Gobert.
Since Belgium suffered simultaneous terrorist attacks in Brussels and Zaventem, where 32 civilians were killed six years ago, the assessment of possible terrorist motives is always on the table.
However, the prosecutor Damien Verheyen pointed out that “there is no element in the investigation at this time that allows us to consider that the motivations of the two could have been related to terrorism.”
Investigators also rejected reports from some local media outlets that initially reported that the incident could have been caused by the vehicle involved being chased by police.
King Felipe and the nation’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo, visited Strépy-Bracquegnies this Sunday to express their support for the families of the deceased and injured.
With Reuters and AP
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