A speeding car ran over a crowd gathered for the carnival in Strépy-Bracquegnies, a village in southern Belgium, at 5 am this Sunday (20), local time. According to local authorities, at least six people have died and another 26 are injured.
The mayor of La Louvière, Jacques Gobert, said the driver moved forward as a group of around 150 to 200 people participating in the carnival left the Omnisports gym to head to the center of Strépy-Bracquegnies.
During a press conference in La Louvière, a town close to the French border, the deputy prosecutor of the King of Belgium, Damien Verheyen, said that among the 26 injured, 10 people were in a serious, life-threatening condition.
Verheyen said that for the time being, there are no indications that the incident was a terrorist attack. According to him, two people were arrested in the car, both residents of La Louvière and aged in their 30s.
“My thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones. All my support also goes out to the emergency services for their help and assistance provided,” Alexander De Croo, the Belgian prime minister, said on Twitter. Accompanied by King Philippe, De Croo will visit the site during the day.
Belgian Minister Annelies Verlinden also tweeted: “My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who died and were injured in the incident that took place this morning in Strépy.”
