Dutch police: 6 dead after truck hit community barbecue

The death toll from an accident when a truck drove off a dike and slammed into a community barbecue in a village south of Rotterdam rose to six on Sunday and police said a further seven people are in hospital, including one in critical condition.

Police spokeswoman Mirjam Boers said the truck driver, a 46-year-old Spanish man, is suspected of causing the accident that happened early Saturday evening in the village of Nieuw-Beijerland. Boers said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

The large truck he was driving left a small rural road and careered down the bank of the dike and plowed into the village gathering. The exact cause of the crash is under investigation.