A 12-year-old girl has died of coronavirus, making her the youngest known victim in Europe.
The youngster died in a hospital in Belgium, with a Belgian government spokesman delivering an emotional statement.
He said in a trembling voice: "It is an emotionally difficult moment because it involves a child."
He said medics were left deeply upset when the girl lost her fight for life - reports Mirror Online.
Her death follows that of a 14-year-old schoolboy who died on Sunday morning after being diagnosed with Covid-19 near Porto in Portugal. He had underlying health conditions.
Last Wednesday, a 16-year-old girl died in a Paris children's hospital where she was being treated for coronavirus. She had no known medical conditions.
The youngest person to die in the UK was an 18-year-old Coventry man who had seriously underlying health issues.
As of Tuesday morning, Belgium had 12,775 confirmed cases of coronavirus - the 10th highest total in the world - and 705 deaths.
The 12-year-old girl was one of almost 100 people to die in the previous 24 hours, officials announced on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Andre, a spokesman for the country's crisis centre, became emotional as he announced the girl's death.
He told reporters: "Today, we want to communicate difficult information to you. It is the death of a 12-year-old girl.
"It is obviously an emotionally difficult moment because it involves a child.
"It has also upset the medical and scientific communities.
"We are thinking of her family and friends. It is an event that is very rare, but one which upsets us greatly."
Virologist Steven van Gucht said the girl's condition deteriorated after three days of fever.
He added: "We don't know why in some cases it goes wrong. These situations must be studied on a case-by-case basis. "
