An explosion took place on Avenue Sleeckx in Schaerbeek on Thursday morning, according to the Brussels-North police zone, confirming earlier reports from Sudinfo and Het Laatste Nieuws.
The explosion took place in front of a building housing the workshop of Vandewiele Textile Machines, a company that develops industrial sewing machines, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
"The emergency services were called at around 06:25 on Thursday morning following a loud bang on Avenue Sleeckx in Schaerbeek," explained Brussels-North police spokesperson Audrey Dereymaeker.
"On their arrival, the emergency services found material damage to a building. This could have been caused by a firecracker or a firework. Fortunately, no one was injured. An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the incident," Dereymaeker added.
Images from the company's CCTV cameras show a young man placing a Cobra-type firecracker, with an explosive force comparable to that of a grenade, in front of the building's entrance door.
The use of such fireworks is prohibited under the decree of the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region of 2 April 2024.
