Four people died, another 12 were injured in Belgium, where around 5am a car hit a crowd gathered to attend a classic carnival ceremony in Strépy-Bracquegnies, in the south of the country. The budget was updated by the mayor of nearby La Louvière, Jacques Gobert, who also spoke of 20 injured.
According to the mayor, “a speeding car threw itself on the crowd that had gathered to see the” ramassage des Gilles “, the gathering of some traditional carnival masks. “The driver then continued on his way, but we intercepted him,” added the mayor. The municipality has triggered its municipal emergency plan. “We have made the municipal sports hall available to families and the victim assistance service has also been activated,” explained Gobert.
The city of La Louvière had officially launched the carnival period at the beginning of March after the lightening of the rules related to the pandemic, with the passage in yellow code. The Strépy-Bracquegnies carnival was to begin on March 20 with the traditional Gilles gathering, in which participants go from house to house, and continue on March 21 and 22.
