On Sunday March 20, a vehicle drove into a group of people at 5 a.m., killing six and injuring thirty. The thesis of the attack is excluded at this stage.
The two occupants of the vehicle which darkened on Sunday March 20 in a crowd gathered for a carnival in Belgium must be presented to an examining magistrate on Monday and their toxicological analyzes are in progress, indicated the prosecutor of Mons.
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One of the two occupants of the car had a positive breathalyser, but it is not “apparently notof the driver, according to the public prosecutor of Mons, Ignacio de la Serna, during an interview on Bel RTL radio. Blood tests should confirm this test and verify drug use, he said, citing ecstasy. The two men are, according to the press, two cousins aged 32 and 34 named Paolo and Nino, who had returned from disco and are from La Louvière, a town in Wallonia which includes the village of Strépy-Bracquegnies where the drama. The tragedy occurred around 05:00 (04:00 GMT) on Sunday, killing six people, 10 seriously injured and around 20 more lightly injured. The vehicle rammed into a group picking up people who were in carnival costume.
Speed and lack of braking
The authorities have ruled out at this stage the thesis of an attack. The two occupants of the car, who were interviewed for the first time by the investigators, did not “for the moment“given”really explanation“, according to Ignacio de la Serna. “We have information (according to which) they are people who like cars and speed, but it remains rather vague (…) In 2017, one of the two had his license withdrawn , but took the exams again after“, continued the prosecutor. The investigators also want to verify that the passenger did not replace the driver, “since the vehicle has stoppedfurther after crashing into the group.
The investigation was opened formurder“:”What is still very surprising is the speed and the absence of braking“commented the prosecutor. But the investigating judge, who must hear the two occupants of the car on Monday, may choose to retain another qualification, he added.
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A specialist team examines the car “on the Loup» and in particular its electronic components, since it is a «fairly new vehicle“, and “who can explain a lot of things“, continued Ignacio de la Serna. The drama has sparked strong emotion in Belgium, where towns and villages hold many street parades for carnival during Lent, a tradition returning this year after the long hiatus due to the pandemic.