4 dies, 20 injures as a car crashes into carnival crowd in Belgium

Four people’s lives have been lost as a car crashed into a crowd of carnival-goers in the early hours of the morning on Sunday in Belgium. 20 people have been seriously injured, just as the authorities reported.

“A car driving at high speed ran into the crowd that had gathered to attend (the carnival),” mayor Jacques Gobert told Belga news agency.

The incident took place at about 5:00 am (0400 GMT) at the carnival of Strepy-Bracquegnies, a district of the former industrial town of La Louvriere, authorities said.

The mayor’s office said in a statement that, “This Sunday morning, a vehicle collided with a group of around 100 people which had just left the sports hall to go back up to the Centre of the village.”

The office said authorities are to hold a press conference at 11:00 am in La Louvriere, though the public prosecutor’s office did not wish to communicate on the case for the time being, but will speak later in the day.”