Brussels: Six people were killed and more than 10 seriously injured when a car hit a small town in southern Belgium on Sunday morning . Belgium’s Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said: “What should have been a grand party has turned into an accident.”
The Prosecutor’s Office said that the initial investigation did not show any signs of terrorism and that two locals, who are in their 30s, were arrested from the scene of the incident in the city of Strapi-Bracagnese. The city is located about 50 kilometers south of the capital, Brussels.
This carnival, organized for years, was banned for the last two years due to COVID-19 but this year as per tradition people were gathering in the morning and walking on the road to call people from nearby houses. Some of these people were in colorful costumes with bells.
“The celebrations have turned into a national disaster,” Mayor Jacques Gobert said. He said that around 150 people were standing on the road at 5 am local time. “Suddenly, a speeding car from behind rammed them, injuring some and unfortunately some people,” Gobert said. When the car stopped a few hundred meters away, the driver and the other person were arrested, he said.
It is worth noting that six years ago there were two terrorist attacks in Brussels and Javentem, in which 32 people were killed. Prosecutor Damien Verhayen said, “The investigation has not found anything at this time that makes me think that the motive behind this may be linked to terrorism.”
The prosecutor’s office also dismissed media reports that the police was chasing the rammed car. King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexandre de Cru are expected to arrive in Strapi-Bracagnese on Sunday to meet the families of those affected.