Seven injured after branch falls on crowd at festival

Seven people were injured, one of them seriously, when a branch detached from a tree and fell onto the audience at the Benenwerk festival in Bruges on Saturday evening.

Five of the injured festivalgoers were taken to the hospital and all of them are in stable condition, police said.

The branch fell onto the dance floor during the event at Astrid Park in Bruges. The most seriously injured victim was a minor, whose neck was struck by a piece of the branch.

“According to the fire brigade, it’s possible that the branch cracked under the effect of the vibrations of the music and the dance steps,” said Bruges mayor Dirk De Fauw (CD&V).

De Fauw cancelled the festival and the site was evacuated on Saturday evening.