A car drove into a crowd of people planning to participate in a carnival parade in southern Belgium on Sunday morning, killing at least six and injuring several others, including 10 seriously, officials said.
Police said a terror attack has been ruled out, the BBC reported.
"It is an accident, a tragic one. The car hit the group and tried to carry on but it was quickly stopped by the police," police spokeswoman Cristina Ianoco told the BBC. "The driver and the other people in the car have been detained."
The car drove at high-speed into about 60 people in the small town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, about 30 miles south of the capital Brussels.
Around 150 people were planning to participate in the annual folklore parade, involving costumes and drums, when the vehicle approached.
"What was supposed to be a great party turned into a tragedy," she added. "We are monitoring the situation closely," Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden posted on Twitter.
The parade was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's a scene I never thought I'd see in my life," Fabrice Collignona, a reporter with RTL, said. "Everyone was on the ground. People were screaming. There was music and smiles and three seconds later, it was screaming. It was horrible."
