Six dead, seven injured after truck crashes into community barbecue

Six people were killed when a truck drove off an embankment and crashed into a community barbecue in the Netherlands, police said.

Seven other people are being treated in hospital, one in a critical condition, following an accident in a village south of Rotterdam.

Three men and three women, ranging in age from 28 to 75, were killed, police added.

Police spokesman Mirjam Boers said the driver of the truck, a 46-year-old Spanish man, was suspected of causing the crash in Nieuw-Beijerland on Saturday evening.

She said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol.

The truck he was driving left a country road, galloped down the embankment, and smashed into the village gathering place.

The exact cause of the crash is under investigation.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands said in a tweet that they were shocked by the accident, which “caused unimaginable sadness in this tight-knit community. The families affected are in our hearts, We want the injured force to recover as well as possible.”

Forensic investigators worked late Saturday around the truck, which was parked at the bottom of the levee. A crane and a trailer later towed it back onto the road.

Photos from the scene showed bunting flags hanging between trees, chairs scattered around the trestle and plates on top of each other.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte also expressed his grief in a tweet, saying: “My thoughts are with the victims and next of kin of this horrific drama. I hope they are strong enough.”

Local Mayor Charlie Aptrut toured the scene Saturday night.

“My condolences go out to the victims, their families, witnesses and first responders,” he said in a statement.

He added that he had spoken to a number of people at the scene and expressed his “admiration for the way people treated each other”.