More than 300 students and women were evacuated after a gas pipe was hit during sewage works on the campus of HOGENT university college in Ghent on Friday.
All students and staff were evacuated to a field nearby, a 50-metre perimeter has been up, and bus and tram traffic in the area is being diverted.
"The evacuation of buildings C, D and E of HOGENT's Schoonmeersen campus is ongoing," Björn Bryon of the fire brigade told VRT. "We reacted quickly and evacuated all buildings around the site of the gas leak," added HOGENT.
Gas operator Fluvius confirmed that at 11:27 a report came in about a gas pipe being hit during excavation works. In addition to the campus, a supermarket and one house nearby were also evacuated.
The campus is a stone's throw from the busy Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, but train traffic is not affected. However, some streets in the area are being cordoned off by the police.
According to Fluvius, the repair work will take at least another two hours.
All classes on campus have been suspended for the time being. When they will resume is not clear yet.
