Twenty hockey fans were electrocuted en masse during a match near Antwerp, after lightning from a high-tension wire struck the field and spread through the stands during victory celebrations.
To celebrate the victory of the town of Mol’s local hockey team, confetti and ribbons were thrown up in the air. One of the ribbons touched a high-tension wire, causing a lightning flash which struck the field before spreading throughout the stand’s fences, according to Belgian media.
“Several people were sitting near the gates and were seriously injured,” Mol mayor Wim Caeyers told Dutch-language broadcaster VTM.
The victims, aged between 8 and 80, were mostly supporters of Mol's local female hockey team.
Fourteen people were reportedly injured and were taken to nearby hospitals for severe burns from the electrocution. Four of them sustained severe injuries but none are thought to be in serious danger, according to local media.
The Brussels Times
