A gas explosion killed one person and injured at least three on Thursday morning in Elewijt, a section of the municipality of Zemst in Flemish Brabant.
The emergency services and mayor Veerle Geerinckx confirmed the news, with the affected building having been declared uninhabitable.
An explosion was heard at 07:15 in a building housing a doctor's surgery and several flats. The victims lived in the flats above the surgery.
The fire brigade and police were deployed in large numbers and set up a security perimeter.
Scene of an explosion in Elewijt, Zemst, Thursday 31 August 2023. Credit: Belga / Katleen Vastiau
It was not until shortly after 10:00 that the fire, which broke out in the wake of the explosion, was extinguished.
The fire brigade then searched the rubble for any other victims. Civil protection was also dispatched to the scene.
The building was heavily damaged by the explosion and its stability is compromised. The fire brigade shored up the damaged building.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been clarified.
