Six dead and dozens injured, some in serious condition. This is the preliminary tally of what happened at dawn in Belgium in StrepyBracquegnies: a car crashed into a group of people celebrating the local carnival, overpowering them.
Tragedy at dawn todaySunday March 20th in Belgium. In StrepyBracquegnies, a Walloon village belonging to the municipality of La Louviere, a car crashed into the crowd celebrating the carnival. According to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, the updated figure is currently six dead and dozens injured. Ten people who have reported severe trauma: Among them should not be minors. Others were injured less seriously instead: about seventy people were involved in the episode in total.
After the investment, the car continued its journey, but was subsequently intercepted. The driver and the second occupant of the car were arrested: they are a 32yearold and a 34yearold, both originally from La Louviere and, according to local media, unprecedented by the police.
The terror lane is currently not the privileged one
The incident happened around 5 a.m., according to a local police spokesman. Just today, March 20th, celebrations began for the local carnival, which is scheduled to last until March 22nd. The characters and the typical masks of the local carnival, a tradition deeply rooted in Wallonia that had not taken place for the past two years because of the pandemic, had started the parade when the accident happened on the rue des Canadiens are being investigated: It’s not yet clear if it could be an attack, although according to the King’s assistant prosecutor, Damien Verheyen, “at this stage of the investigation, the terrorist trail is not privileged.”
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The mayor of La Louviere himself, Jacques Gobert, originally from the village of Bracquegnies, was dressed and ready to attend the carnival when he was briefed on the tragedy. At first it seemed as if the carnival celebrations should continue, but later in the press conference, the mayor announced that after a sober meeting today, he had asked for all dates to be suspended.
The condolences of the political world
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden sent her condolences to the families and friends of the victims, adding that the government was following the affair.
In the afternoon, the Minister of the Interior travels to StrépyBracquegnies: with her the King of Belgium Philip, the Walloon President Elio Di Rupo and the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, to whom French President Emmanuel Macron has sent a message expressing their support after the tragedy .
(article will be updated)