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21 June 2024
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Four dead, five injured in large explosion in Antwerp, part of building blown away, Belgium
A large explosion occurred in the Hoboken district of the city of Antwerp in Belgium, on Thursday morning, 13 June 2024. The explosion happened just before 06h30 on the Sint-Bernardsesteenweg, which caused part of the affected apartment building to be blown away, the Antwerp Fire Brigade said. The blast was particularly intense and destroyed the windows of several other buildings in the area.
The first fatality (a 44-year-old man) was found on Thursday morning and two other bodies were recovered in the late afternoon and evening. At around 16h00, crane works started to clear the blown-off roof and top floor of the building hit by the explosion. In the process, large debris fell.
A fourth dead body was found Thursday night in the rubble of the apartment building. Emergency services were searching for at least one more missing person.
There was an explosion on the Sint-Bernardsesteenweg in Antwerp early on Thursday morning, By around 07:30, several victims had already been freed from the rubble by emergency services and handed over to medical services.
"Unfortunately, at least six people have already been injured," the fire brigade announced on social media. Later in the morning, the police confirmed that one of the victims had died. Three others are seriously injured, while the remaining two are slightly injured.
"We keep searching but the instability [of the building] is making it difficult for us." The fire brigade is working to stabilise the building and in the meantime, is searching for possible victims from outside from a ladder truck.
Around 13h00, the fire brigade confirmed that emergency services were still searching for at least four people who are residents of the apartment building and could not be contacted. Whether they are effectively inside is not clear because searches from outside have not yet yielded anything.
The fire brigade added that no through traffic, including by tram, is possible in the area where the explosion took place. "Public transport is also being diverted, possibly all day." It called on commuters to check for updates on the website or social media accounts of public transport operator De Lijn.
The four-storey apartment building was very seriously damaged: the top two floors are largely destroyed and the whole building is unstable. Fortunately, the damage to surrounding buildings has been limited. Still, the premises around the affected building were also evacuated as a precautionary measure because of debris on the roofs, among other things.
Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) said his "thoughts are with the victims and their families." He may visit the scene of the incident later but he is currently staying out of the way so the emergency services, who are asking people to avoid the area, can continue their rescue operation. Mayor De Wever visited the scene at around 12h00 on Thursday, together with Antwerp Governor Cathy Berx
King Philippe visited the site of the explosion on Friday morning together with outgoing Home Affairs Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) and Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA). The monarch met with on-site rescue workers and received updates about the search for victims.
The police are keeping everyone at a safe distance but many local residents are gathering around the exploded building. They are still deeply affected by the events.
The cause of the explosion is still unclear. While the scene is reminiscent of a gas explosion, this has still not been confirmed. The manager of the gas network Fluvius established that the meters in the building are intact, meaning the explosion did not occur where gas enters the building. "It is still too early to make any statements about the cause; we are still surveying everything," police said.
Sources: Brandweer Zone Antwerpen, The Brussels Times
The first fatality (a 44-year-old man) was found on Thursday morning and two other bodies were recovered in the late afternoon and evening. At around 16h00, crane works started to clear the blown-off roof and top floor of the building hit by the explosion. In the process, large debris fell.
A fourth dead body was found Thursday night in the rubble of the apartment building. Emergency services were searching for at least one more missing person.
There was an explosion on the Sint-Bernardsesteenweg in Antwerp early on Thursday morning, By around 07:30, several victims had already been freed from the rubble by emergency services and handed over to medical services.
"Unfortunately, at least six people have already been injured," the fire brigade announced on social media. Later in the morning, the police confirmed that one of the victims had died. Three others are seriously injured, while the remaining two are slightly injured.
"We keep searching but the instability [of the building] is making it difficult for us." The fire brigade is working to stabilise the building and in the meantime, is searching for possible victims from outside from a ladder truck.
Around 13h00, the fire brigade confirmed that emergency services were still searching for at least four people who are residents of the apartment building and could not be contacted. Whether they are effectively inside is not clear because searches from outside have not yet yielded anything.
The fire brigade added that no through traffic, including by tram, is possible in the area where the explosion took place. "Public transport is also being diverted, possibly all day." It called on commuters to check for updates on the website or social media accounts of public transport operator De Lijn.
The four-storey apartment building was very seriously damaged: the top two floors are largely destroyed and the whole building is unstable. Fortunately, the damage to surrounding buildings has been limited. Still, the premises around the affected building were also evacuated as a precautionary measure because of debris on the roofs, among other things.
Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) said his "thoughts are with the victims and their families." He may visit the scene of the incident later but he is currently staying out of the way so the emergency services, who are asking people to avoid the area, can continue their rescue operation. Mayor De Wever visited the scene at around 12h00 on Thursday, together with Antwerp Governor Cathy Berx
King Philippe visited the site of the explosion on Friday morning together with outgoing Home Affairs Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) and Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA). The monarch met with on-site rescue workers and received updates about the search for victims.
The police are keeping everyone at a safe distance but many local residents are gathering around the exploded building. They are still deeply affected by the events.
The cause of the explosion is still unclear. While the scene is reminiscent of a gas explosion, this has still not been confirmed. The manager of the gas network Fluvius established that the meters in the building are intact, meaning the explosion did not occur where gas enters the building. "It is still too early to make any statements about the cause; we are still surveying everything," police said.
Sources: Brandweer Zone Antwerpen, The Brussels Times
