Two dead in suspected gas blast in Belgium's Antwerp: police

Belgian rescuers found two dead bodies early Tuesday at the site of a powerful suspected gas explosion in the port city of Antwerp that also injured 40 people, police said.

Firefighters and police officers arrive at the scene in Antwerp.

Firefighters and police officers arrive at the scene in Antwerp. Source: Getty

The blast late Monday, which police say is not linked to terrorism, collapsed or severely damaged several buildings in the Paardenmarkt area of central Antwerp, a Dutch-speaking city in northern Belgium.

"Police confirm two more victims found under the rubble, both deceased. The victims have not yet been identified," Antwerp police said on Twitter.

Emergency services respond to the incident.
Emergency services respond to the incident. Source: Getty


Firefighters inspect the collapsed building.
Firefighters inspect the collapsed building. Source: Getty


Several people were pulled alive from the rubble on Monday night.

"Research into the cause of the explosion at Paardenmarkt continues," it added.

Belgium's French-language broadcaster RTBF reported that a gas leak was suspected as the cause of the blast at around 9:30pm (2030 GMT) Monday, though it had yet to be confirmed.

Police said the explosion was not related to terrorism, while Belgium has been on a high state of alert since 16 people were killed in suicide bombings in the capital Brussels in March 2016.

Firefighters and police officers arrive at the scene.
Firefighters and police officers arrive at the scene. Source: Getty


 

A collapsed building after an explosion in Belgium.
A collapsed building after an explosion in Belgium. Source: Getty



Share
1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP, SBS

Tags

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world