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Four badly hurt after car hits crowd at French kite festival

Eleven people were injured, four seriously, after a car ploughed into a crowd at an international kite-flying festival in northern France on Saturday, officials said.

Four badly hurt after car hits crowd at French kite festival
People fly kites during the 33th International Kite Meeting of Berck-sur-Mer in 2019. Photo: Philippe HUGUEN/AFP.

The accident was caused by a disabled 76-year-old driver who “confused the accelerator and brake pedals”, a statement from the local prosector’s office said.

The accident happened in the early evening at the seaside town of Berck-sur-Mer where hundreds of thousands of people gather each year for the festival.

Four women, including two pensioners aged 75 and 82, are being treated for life-threatening head injuries in intensive care, the emergency services and local officials said.

The driver, who was lightly injured in the accident, faces a possible charge of causing injuries unintentionally.

Popular with families and drawing visitors from around the world, the annual Berck-sur-Mer festival is held over several days, featuring acrobatic kite flying shows and build-your-own workshops.

One of the 11 injured was a four-year-old girl who suffered shock after witnessing the accident, an official said.

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