Police sources say that around 25,000 people attended a fireworks display yesterday evening (Thursday) at 11 p.m., which set off from the Place des Palais in Brussels. From the Belgian Royal Family, only King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their older daughter, Princess Elisabeth, were present.
The fireworks honoured the Brussels colours, kicking off proceedings with red and green rockets. The first music was from the series Game of Thrones. Amongst the titles which followed were, in particular, “Tennessee” by Hans Zimmer from the film “Pearl Harbor” and “Now we are free” from the film “Gladiator”. The fireworks gradually increased in might, rising to finish with a vengeance at the grande finale, orchestrated using the music “Like A Dog Chasing Cars” from the 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight.”
More than 100,000 fireworks were let off, said Benoît Halein, director, with his father Georges born on Independence Day, of Maîtres Artificiers Van Cleemput (fireworks manufacturers). “This year, unlike previous occasions, we only used film music,” he explained. We were meticulous about the colours and tracks in the sky. We blasted off new bright colours so as to make bright patterns in silver and gold colours.”
At the end of the fireworks, the Red Cross of Belgium provided a non-definitive toll of 147 individuals treated at their first aid treatment stations, with ten hospital evacuations. No case proved to be serious, according to the spokeswoman for the Red Cross of Belgium, Nancy Ferroni.
The Brussels Times
