The 62-year-old Belgian man who died in Monday’s tragedy in Zurrieq has been named as Koen De Vrieze.

Another person, a 37-year-old Spanish woman, died when the open-topped double-decker bus hit a tree on Valletta road. Another 50 people were injured. Up until Tuesday evening, seven were still in hospital.

De Vrieze had been in Malta for a week when the accident took place. He was on holiday with his wife, Hilde. The woman was sitting next to her husband on the bus but was not injured.

The couple arrived in Malta on 3 April after having been delayed for a whole day at Brussels’ Charleroi airport.

“On Monday, the seventh day of their vacation, they boarded a red sightseeing bus. They took the stairs upstairs to view the area from the roof of the double-decker,” Belgian news website HLN reported.

Koen De Vrieze had retired last year. For years he was one of the driving forces behind the Ghent Festivities.

A relative told news portal Tingo that the victim’s children were on their way to Malta to assist their mother.

"We are worried about her. Hilde was given psychological assistance in hospital. We are now awaiting for permission to repatriate Koen’s body.”

 De Vrieze leaves behind a son, two daughters and three grandchildren.