‘No victims’ among Belgians in Boston

At least 23 Belgians took part in yesterday’s Boston Marathon, which ended in tragedy as three people were killed and dozens injured in a double explosion, writes Het Laatste Nieuws. “Immediately after crossing the finishing line I heard this terribly loud bang, turned around, saw a giant blowtorch and then a big white cloud. But it was only once I was back at my hotel that I fully realised it: if I had walked a little slower, I’d be dead,” Piet Weltjens of Genk told the paper by telephone. “We still cannot comprehend what we have just experienced.” Weltjens was part of a team of 11 from the Belgian Managers’ Marathon Club, for which an eight-strong support had also flown to Boston. A spokesman for the Federal Public Service for foreign affairs issued a statement saying there were no indications that any Belgians were among the victims of the blasts.