BRUSSELS (AP) — A car traveling at high speed plowed into carnival goers in a small town in southern Belgium early Sunday, killing six people and seriously injuring more than a dozen, authorities said, adding that many others suffered minor injuries.
“What was meant to be a great party has turned into a tragedy,” Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said.
The prosecutor, who announced the death toll, also said two local residents in their 30s had been arrested at the scene in Strepie-Brackney, 31 miles (50 kilometers) south of Brussels. The prosecutor said there was no indication at an early stage of the investigation that there was a terrorist motive.
Following ancient tradition, carnival goers gathered at dawn, picking up others from their homes along the way, finally resuming the famous festivities that had been banned for the past two years to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some wore colorful costumes with bells and walked to the beat of drums. It was meant to be a day of liberation.
Instead, Mayor Jacques Gaubert said, “What has happened has become a national catastrophe.”
At about 5 a.m., more than 150 people of all ages had gathered and were standing closely together along the long, straight road when suddenly, “a car came speeding from behind, injuring dozens and unfortunately killing several,” Gobert said.
The driver and another person were arrested when the vehicle came to a halt a few hundred metres (yards) away.
The idea that terrorism was a motive has been a persistent theme in Belgium since it suffered twin terror attacks in Brussels and Zaventem six years ago that left 32 civilians dead.
But prosecutor Damien Verheyen said: “There are no elements in the investigation at this stage which would lead us to believe that their motives may have been terrorism-related.”
Prosecutors also denied media reports that the accident may have been caused by a car being pursued by police.
King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo are due to visit Strepie-Brackney later on Sunday to express their support to the families of the dead and injured.
Carnival is hugely popular in the region, with the festivities in nearby Binche being listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
