Terrifying moment van drives into cafe terrace in Brussels ‘at extremely high speed’, injuring six people before driver flees the scene
- The male suspect drove a van into the seating area outside a cafe in Brussels
- Six people were injured in the incident and the driver fled the scene in his van
- The British embassy in Belgium urged Brits in area to follow ‘official guidance’
This is the terrifying moment a van drove into people sitting on a cafe terrace in Brussels at an ‘extremely high speed’, injuring six people.
Video shows the male suspect driving a van into the seating area outside a cafe in the centre of the Belgian capital on Friday afternoon at around 1pm local time (11.00 GMT).
Six people were injured and pictures from the scene shows tables and chairs strewn across the floor outside the cafe.
The driver did not stop after he smashed into the victims and police are now hunting the streets of Brussels for the suspect after they found the van abandoned.
Witnesses told Radio 1 that they saw the van driving towards the cafe at ‘breakneck speed while swinging side by side’.
Video shows the male suspect driving a van into the seating area outside a cafe in the centre of Brussels on Friday afternoon at around 1pm local time
Six people were injured and pictures from the scene shows tables and chairs strewn across the floor outside the cafe
The British embassy in Belgium said they were aware of the incident near the pedestrian street of Rue Neuve and urged Brits in the area to follow ‘official guidance’.
Phillipe Close, the mayor of Brussels, told the Le Soir newspaper that the van had entered the Rue Saint-Michel ‘at an extremely high speed and was aiming for the terrace’.
CCTV from outside the cafe shows diners sitting on the terrace before the white van comes speeding towards them.
The van is seen ramming into the tables, with some diners managing to jump out of the way at the last second.
A witness told Radio 1: ‘We were just enjoying the terrace. The terraces were quite full. Suddenly a white van drove up at breakneck speed, swinging from side by side. We had to jump against the wall.’
Six people suffered minor injuries but none of the victims were taken to hospital.
CCTV from outside the cafe shows diners sitting on the terrace before the white van comes speeding towards them. The van is seen ramming into the tables, with some diners managing to jump out of the way at the last second
The van is seen ramming into the tables, with some diners managing to jump out of the way
Police are still searching for the suspect after they found the van abandoned on a street close to the scene, reports HLN.
Specialist officers from the Belgian army’s bomb disposal unit are checking the van for explosions as a precautionary measure.
Witnesses have now been taken to the local police station as officers investigate the incident.
‘These are tourists, city employees, residents and Belgians visiting the capital,’ mayor Close said of the victims.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow…