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Belgium: Six dead as car hits carnival crowd

Rumpel

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Authorities in Belgium said six people had died after a car plowed into a crowd waiting to attend a carnival in the town of Strépy-Bracquegnies on Sunday.

"A car drove from the back at high speed. And we have a few dozen injured and unfortunately several people who are killed,'' Jacques Gobert, mayor of the neighboring town La Louviere said.

Prosecutor Damien Verheyen said 26 people were injured, 10 were in critical condition.


Terrible!

And not for the first time!
 
In an age-old tradition, Carnival revelers had gathered at dawn, intending to pick up others at their homes along the way, to finally hold their famous festivity again after it was banned for the past two years to counter the spread of COVID-19. Some dressed in colorful garb with bells attached, walking behind the beat of drums. It was supposed to be a day of deliverance.

Instead, said mayor Jacques Gobert, "what happened turned it into a national catastrophe."

More than 150 people of all ages had gathered around 5 a.m. and were standing in a thick crowd along a long, straight road. Suddenly, "a car drove from the back at high speed. And we have a few dozen injured and unfortunately several people who are killed," Gobert said.


And no explanation why this happened?
 
As it says, there was no "terrorism involved".
Even without terrorism - isn't this terror enough?

And still no explanation after all these hours.
 
Are there any Belgians here in the forum?
Or anybody interested in news from Belgium?
 
How tragic! I guess we'll wait to see what was the motive. Apparently it wasn't a high speed chase, so the only other reason I can imagine is a disgruntled person.
 
How tragic! I guess we'll wait to see what was the motive. Apparently it wasn't a high speed chase, so the only other reason I can imagine is a disgruntled person.
Or drunk? Passed out with foot on the gas?
 
First it was said, that 2 youths were flee-ing from the police.
Then it was said that no police was involved.

But as yet not motive or reason for all this was given.
 
Nothing new as yet:

Authorities have ruled out, for now, a terror motive behind Sunday’s incident.

“At this stage of the investigation, we know that a vehicle slammed into a group and that there are six dead and 26 injured, including 10 people whose life is in danger,” prosecutor Damien Verheyen told reporters at the town’s city hall.

 
Time for registration and licensing for vehicles along with training before being allowed to use them
There was a time when all this was NOT necessary in Belgium.
But that was long ago.
 
No news of any kind why this happened and who those two persons in the car planned - or whatever.
Does the police not know - or do they not want to tell yet?
 
At least six people have been killed after a car drove into a crowd of carnival-goers in southern Belgium.



The incident happened in the small town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, about 30 miles (50km) south of the capital Brussels.



The car drove at high-speed into dozens of people who were preparing to take part in a traditional parade on Sunday morning.



Around 40 people were injured and several are in a serious condition, the town's mayor said.



"There were about 150-200 people who were following the parade and [the] car arrived from behind and drove into the crowd," Jacques Gobert said.



If this is NOT terrorism, as the police claims, what is it then?
Some kind of bad joke - and nothing more to worry about - or what?
 
It is near midnight here now.
Maybe we will know more about it tomorrow.
 
Time for registration and licensing for vehicles along with training before being allowed to use them
Hopefully a waiting period, secure storage requirements and a strict limit on the number of cars per household. If gas were kept separate from the car this could be avoided.
 
No news of any kind why this happened and who those two persons in the car planned - or whatever.
Does the police not know - or do they not want to tell yet?
I'm sure they want to be absolutely sure they have all information before releasing a motive.
 
Time for registration and licensing for vehicles along with training before being allowed to use them

Nah. We should ban cars with spoilers and any that can go faster than 30 mph, and make speeding and drunk driving a felony on the first offense, after which you lose your right to drive for life.
 
Still no real new news:

As a group of carnival-goers were marching towards the town center, "a car came from the back at high speed and crashed into group, pulverized a large number of people, continuing its way before stopping a little further down," La Louvière mayor Jacques Gobert told reporters.

The two men who were in the car, both from La Louvière and born in 1988 and 1990, were arrested, Verheyen said. He added that a "reconstruction of the facts" will be held in order to establish the exact route of the vehicle and any potential motive.
The incident happened at 5 a.m. local time. Strépy-Bracquegnies is located 30 miles (50km) south of Brussels.
There was no evidence that a chase with police led to the incident, officers said, contrary to earlier reports. They also said as yet "no elements" showed that the incident "could be considered as a terrorist attack."


What I wonder is: No mentioning of any motive.
Did those two men not say anything?
Or did they say: "We will not say anthing, as our lawyer has instructed us ...."
 
I do not find any more new news in this case.
Just if there was an order for all newspapers to keep silent about it.
Which could be news in itself.
 
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