Roter.Teufel
Sub-Administrador
- Entrou
- Out 5, 2021
- Mensagens
- 31,818
- Gostos Recebidos
- 1,055
Six dead after car 'accelerates into large crowd' with over 30 left injured
Carnival-goers lined the streets at around 5am in in Strépy-Bracquegnies, in anticipation for the first float at 11am - before "two young people" drove a car into the crowd
"At least six" people have been killed, including a child, after a car "accelerated into a crowd" of over 100 carnival goers in Belgium.
Two people are said to have been in the car. Police said they were local people in their 30s and were not previously known to police.
The incident took place in Strépy-Bracquegnies near La Louvière in the province of Hainaut.
In a picture seen by the Daily Star, which we have chosen not to publish, bodies are seen on the ground, covered with white sheets at the scene.
The picture, tweeted by journalist Sotiri Dimpinoudis, shows three bodies laying on the road behind a police cordon.
Authorities said the incident did not appear to be a militant attack.
"At this stage, there are no elements to suggest that the attack had a terrorist motive," prosecutor Damien Verheyen told a news conference.
Some reports suggested at least six had died with "10 seriously injured, 10 slightly less seriously injured and 17 slightly injured", according to Claude Hautain, director of urgent medical aid for Hainaut to RTL.be.
Fabrice Collignon, a TV presenter at Bel RTL, said: "There were about 150 of us in a long, straight street.
"We heard a huge noise behind us and a car literally drove into the group of people. It was a scene that I never imagined. I would see them.
"The car accelerated and by the time we realized something was up, everyone was on the ground. People were screaming, it was terrible."
The carnival group Les Boute en Train from La Louvière was hit from behind on their way to the center of the village, reports said.
Eight ambulances arrived on the scene. Reports in Belgium say a suspect has been arrested.
A witness called Rosina, a resident of Strépy-Bracquegnies whose house is nearby the scene of the accident, told local media: "I heard the car go by at full speed. Half an hour before I had heard the drums since it's carnival pick-up.
"As soon as the car passed, five seconds later, it was the impact. I quickly went down. I heard people start screaming. Ten minutes later, help was there. For some, it was unfortunately too late."
Another witness wrote on social media: “I was invited to the carnival of Strépy-Bracquegnies. A car drove into Gilles's company around 4:30 a.m....it was carnage.
"After the shock, there were more than twenty people on the ground everywhere, on the road and on the sidewalks in an area of 30 meters. (...) We could not do much except comfort. People were completely distraught. It's a disaster."
“We have made the municipal sports hall available to families and the victim assistance service has also been activated”, mayor of neighbouring town of La Louviere, Jacques Gobert, said.
According to the police district spokeswoman, the accident happened around 5 am.
The driver of the vehicle is the only one involved, reports said. According to the police, it was not a chase.
Loan, a resident, spoke of how he rescued a child from behind hit by the car.
He told rtl.be: "It was real panic. We tried to do what we could. There was a kid right there, on the verge of going under the wheels of the car. I had time to pick her up and throw her in the grass. She might not have been there otherwise. It was traumatic."
Daily Star Sunday
Carnival-goers lined the streets at around 5am in in Strépy-Bracquegnies, in anticipation for the first float at 11am - before "two young people" drove a car into the crowd
"At least six" people have been killed, including a child, after a car "accelerated into a crowd" of over 100 carnival goers in Belgium.
Two people are said to have been in the car. Police said they were local people in their 30s and were not previously known to police.
The incident took place in Strépy-Bracquegnies near La Louvière in the province of Hainaut.
In a picture seen by the Daily Star, which we have chosen not to publish, bodies are seen on the ground, covered with white sheets at the scene.
The picture, tweeted by journalist Sotiri Dimpinoudis, shows three bodies laying on the road behind a police cordon.
Authorities said the incident did not appear to be a militant attack.
"At this stage, there are no elements to suggest that the attack had a terrorist motive," prosecutor Damien Verheyen told a news conference.
Some reports suggested at least six had died with "10 seriously injured, 10 slightly less seriously injured and 17 slightly injured", according to Claude Hautain, director of urgent medical aid for Hainaut to RTL.be.
Fabrice Collignon, a TV presenter at Bel RTL, said: "There were about 150 of us in a long, straight street.
"We heard a huge noise behind us and a car literally drove into the group of people. It was a scene that I never imagined. I would see them.
"The car accelerated and by the time we realized something was up, everyone was on the ground. People were screaming, it was terrible."
The carnival group Les Boute en Train from La Louvière was hit from behind on their way to the center of the village, reports said.
Eight ambulances arrived on the scene. Reports in Belgium say a suspect has been arrested.
A witness called Rosina, a resident of Strépy-Bracquegnies whose house is nearby the scene of the accident, told local media: "I heard the car go by at full speed. Half an hour before I had heard the drums since it's carnival pick-up.
"As soon as the car passed, five seconds later, it was the impact. I quickly went down. I heard people start screaming. Ten minutes later, help was there. For some, it was unfortunately too late."
Another witness wrote on social media: “I was invited to the carnival of Strépy-Bracquegnies. A car drove into Gilles's company around 4:30 a.m....it was carnage.
"After the shock, there were more than twenty people on the ground everywhere, on the road and on the sidewalks in an area of 30 meters. (...) We could not do much except comfort. People were completely distraught. It's a disaster."
“We have made the municipal sports hall available to families and the victim assistance service has also been activated”, mayor of neighbouring town of La Louviere, Jacques Gobert, said.
According to the police district spokeswoman, the accident happened around 5 am.
The driver of the vehicle is the only one involved, reports said. According to the police, it was not a chase.
Loan, a resident, spoke of how he rescued a child from behind hit by the car.
He told rtl.be: "It was real panic. We tried to do what we could. There was a kid right there, on the verge of going under the wheels of the car. I had time to pick her up and throw her in the grass. She might not have been there otherwise. It was traumatic."
Daily Star Sunday
Última edição: