A car drove into a crowd gathering to take part in a carnival early Sunday in southern Belgium, killing six people and injuring 26 others, including 10 seriously, announced the authorities, who for the moment rule out the thesis of an attack.
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The tragedy occurred around 5 a.m. local time in Strépy-Bracquegnies, a village dependent on the city of La Louvière, a former coal mining area not far from the French border.
Terrorist track cleared
"
In the current state of the investigation, the terrorist track is not privileged
", declared Damien Verheyen, deputy public prosecutor of Mons, during a press conference in La Louvière.
"
Nothing is going in the direction of any radicalism or extremism
", confirmed in the evening the prosecutor of the King of Mons, Christian Henry, on public television RTBF.
According to Damien Verheyen, "
a vehicle drove into a collection group
" of people dressed as "
Gilles
" for the carnival, and "
we deplore six deaths, 26 injured at various stages
", including "
10 people whose days are currently in danger
”.
The car was returning from a dance hall
The two people in the car were arrested and their homes searched.
Originally from La Louvière, born in 1988 and 1990, they are not known to justice, according to him.
"
The two people arrested were returning from a dance hall and had dropped off another person just before the incident
," said Christian Henry.
The results of their blood tests, expected on Monday, “
will make it possible to say whether they have used drugs
”.
“
The facts have been qualified as murder but we will see what the investigation will reveal and if we should requalify the thing as manslaughter
”, he added.
Scene of "
absolute horror
"
According to Mayor Jacques Gobert, between 150 and 200 people took part in the carnival pick-up before dawn.
The vehicle arrived at high speed and "
pulverized a significant number of people
", he said.
Witnesses described a horror scene of a car hurtling into a crowd that included children.
Fabrice Collignon, a Belgian television presenter, told AFP that "
in a snap of the fingers, we went from joy and folklore to absolute horror
".
The car appears to have "
deliberately rammed into the crowd
", according to him.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, other ministers and King Philippe visited the scene, visiting the relief workers at the gymnasium in Strépy-Bracquegnies, where the morning procession had started.
“
It should have been a day of celebration after a difficult period.
It has turned into a day of mourning
,” the prime minister told reporters.
“
We are all with the family and with the loved ones of the victims
”.
