An investigation has been opened into images circulating on social media of dozens of partying young people packed on a train going to Brussels this weekend.
The video shows a large group of young people dancing and singing in and outside several carriages of a train, not keeping the required social distance, and most of them not wearing a face mask.
According to Belgian railway company SNCB, the video was made on Friday evening around 10:00 PM on a train from the student city Louvain-la-Neuve to Brussels.
"There was a police intervention on the train in Ottignies station (near Louvain-la-Neuve). The train then left Ottignies with a delay," SNCB spokesperson Bart Crols told Het Laatse Nieuws. "The police then intervened again at Brussels North station."
No arrests were made, but the railway police drew up an official report, and the Nivelles public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation. Attempts are being made to identify the troublemakers based on the video images.
"This is disrespectful and unsafe behaviour," Crols said, adding that the company "strongly condemns it."
However, this is certainly not the first incident of this kind, according to Joachim Permentier of the independent railway union (OVS).
"For several days now, there have been incidents with young people taking a train to the Blaarmeersen in Ghent, for example," he told VRT NWS. "Throwing a party and causing destruction on the way, such as destroying the seats on a brand new train with knives."
The union also shared a video of the partying people on the train on its Facebook page on Saturday, commenting on the Consultative Committee's rule that passengers can only use the window seats.
"Can you please stay at the window? The minister thought of that," the union said. "Our security services have to deal with a window rule. Good luck to the personnel involved."
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
