A large explosion occurred in the Hoboken district of the city of Antwerp on Thursday morning. One person has died and at least five others have already been reported injured as the search for victims continues.
There was an explosion on the Sint-Bernardsesteenweg in Antwerp early on Thursday morning, which caused part of the affected apartment building to be blown away, the Antwerp fire brigade said. 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.
Er zijn helaas al minstens zes mensen gewond geraakt. We blijven zoeken, maar de instabiliteit maakt het ons lastig.
Er is lokaal geen doorgaand verkeer mogelijk. Ook het openbaar vervoer volgt een omleiding, wellicht de hele dag nog. Volg @delijn voor updates. https://t.co/4afqqjAbVk — Brandweer Zone Antwerpen (@BZAntwerpen) June 13, 2024
Around 13:00, 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 emergency services are on the scene searching for people under the rubble. Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
The four-storey apartment building is 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 have also been evacuated as a precautionary measure, because of debris on the roofs, among other things.
The explosion may have been due to a gas leak, but the exact cause is still unclear.
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.
Credit: Belga/ Dirk Waem
