Belgium: Festival death toll rises to five

The death toll from a fierce rain-and-hail storm that downed tents, trees and scaffolding at an open-air music festival in Belgium has risen to five, officials said.

Hasselt mayor Hilde Claes said that two more people died overnight. A total of 73 were injured, eight of them seriously.

The annual Pukkelpop festival near the town, 50 miles east of Brussels, was cancelled. Buses and trains have been pressed into service to transfer the 60,000 festival-goers home.

A brief but violent thunderstorm yesterday evening tore down concert tents, several trees and main stage scaffolding. Panicked concert-goers ran through fields of mud looking for shelter.