Two people were killed on Sunday in the collision between a car and a light plane which missed its attempt to land at an airfield in eastern Belgium in strong winds, police said.
The plane hit a car which was parked on the side of a road near the airfield in Spa.
The two vehicles found themselves engulfed in flames, said local police commander Jean-Michel Lejeune.
Car driver unhurt thanks to cigarette break
“Unfortunately, there were two casualties on the plane,” he added.
“It was probably a missed landing.
» The pilot of the plane was German, but the investigation is underway to determine the nationality of the passenger, specified Michel Lejeune.
According to media reports, the driver of the car went out for a smoke break, which most likely saved his life.
Media images showed a thick cloud of black smoke near the road and the charred carcass of the car, as well as emergency service vehicles blocking the roads.
Environmental protection officers visited the site, according to media reports, to check that no contamination had affected the famous spring water bottled in the spa resort of Spa.