Major crash in Antwerp motorway claims second life as trucker's licence revoked

Major crash in Antwerp motorway claims second life as trucker's licence revoked
Credit: Belga

A Flemish man has become the second deadly victim of a major crash on Antwerp's ring road in which four vehicles, including a truck and two buses, collided inside a tunnel.

The 36-year-old Antwerp man, who was on board one of the buses involved in the crash, died in the hospital from his injuries on the night of the crash, which took place in the Beveren tunnel, which crosses the Antwerp's port.

One person was killed on the spot and at least 50 others injured in the crash, which occurred when a truck collided with a passenger vehicle, causing a chain reaction crash with two other buses.

Prosecutors in West Flanders said that the driver of the truck, a 52-year-old man from Bulgaria, had tested negative for drugs or alcohol and confirmed that his licence had been revoked for 15 days, 7sur7 reports.

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The second victim's death brings the number of seriously injured victims to four, with an additional 44 others recovering from lighters injuries.

The crash, which took place at around midday on Tuesday, caused serious traffic disturbances after emergency services closed down both lanes, with the situation reportedly returning back to normal at around 8:00 PM.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the circumstances leading to the accident, which a spokesperson for the Flemish Traffic Centre said took place when there was a traffic jam inside the tunnel.

"At the time of the accident, there were a lot of vehicles in the exit leading to the port, which created a traffic jam inside the tunnel," spokesperson Peter Bruyninckx told 7sur7.

Bruyninckx also told Belgian media that a system that regulates traffic inside the tunnel was working but that "its effect, namely solving the traffic jam, was not yet fully felt at that time."

Investigators seized the truck, two buses and passenger vehicles involved in the crash as part of the investigation and will also review camera footage.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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