An explosion damaged several houses on Kortrijkstraat in the Antwerp district of Borgerhout in the early hours of Thursday morning, Antwerp police report.
A loud bang was heard shortly before 02:00. The explosion caused significant damage to the targeted building, both to its facade and inside, but also to five surrounding houses and several cars parked near the blast.
The police have officially launched an investigation into the incident, but no suspects have been apprehended so far. The army’s demining service (SEDEE) and a forensic laboratory are currently on the scene. Victim assistance services are also being made available for local residents.
Antwerp is very frequently rocked by explosions. As with most of the previous incidents, police suspect a link to organised drug trafficking.
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Antwerp has become a battleground between rival drug gangs, who fight to control the flow of drugs from Antwerp’s strategic port to Belgium and the rest of Europe. These gangs have become increasingly violent in recent years, launching gun and grenade attacks against each other.
