Suspects in Belgium killer carnival crash face judge

Two suspects whose car ploughed into a crowd of carnival goers in Belgium were to face a judge on Monday with toxicological tests still underway, prosecutors said.

The pair were arrested at dawn on Sunday in the immediate aftermath of a crash that killed six people and left 10 people seriously injured, shocking the nation.

According to media reports, the two men are cousins, 32 and 34 years old, who were returning from a disco. Officials said they are from La Louviere, a former coal-mining town which includes the village of Strepy-Bracquegnies where the tragedy occurred.

The crash occurred at around 5:00 am (0400 GMT), when the vehicle rammed into a group of people, many dressed up for the carnival.

One of the two occupants of the car had a positive breathalyzer test, but it is "apparently not" the driver, according to prosecutor Ignacio de la Serna, during an interview on the radio Bel RTL.

The two, who press reports identified as Paolo and Nino, have not "for the moment" explained their act, de la Serna added.

"We have information (that) they are people who like cars and driving fast, but it remains quite unclear (...) In 2017, one of the two had his licence withdrawn, but retook the tests afterwards," the prosecutor said.

Investigators also want to verify that the passenger did not switch places with the driver after hitting the group.

Experts are examining the "fairly new" car "with a magnifying glass" and in particular its electronic data "that could explain quite a few things", de la Serna said.

The tragedy has caused consternation in Belgium, where street parades are common during the season of Lent, a tradition that was making its return after being interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic.