Residents of most affected buildings are allowed to go home in Ostend: “But we do not recommend sleeping there tonight” | Ostend

Two buildings uninhabitable. And about fifteen damaged. The material balance of the gas explosion in Ostend is heavy. The building where the blast happened and the one next to it are uninhabitable. The first will even be razed to the ground next week. The people who live there therefore have to look for other accommodation for a long time.

Workmen and experts were busy in the neighborhood all day on Friday. It was decided to “bracing” the two worst-affected buildings, to make them stable. Once that is done, the residents of the other buildings may return home. The buildings also sustained considerable damage. “Those people can start working on their houses from Saturday. To do this, they have to take the initiative themselves and make agreements with their insurance company,” says Mayor Bart Tommelein. “But we will give them the necessary practical information about that.”

The mayor addressed the residents on Thursday evening. They were then allowed inside for a while under the supervision of the police and fire brigade – and with a safety helmet on their heads. To pick up stuff. Because stability cannot yet be fully guaranteed. “Only when the works in the two uninhabitable buildings are finished, can everyone return home,” says Tommelein. “We estimate that will be around 11 p.m..”

But even then it is not recommended to sleep in the buildings tonight. The utilities – such as water and gas – are currently not in order. “We therefore advise everyone to call on friends and family or our shelter for the time being,” he says.

The mayor also briefly commented on the incident itself. It was argued here and there that the police should have acted more quickly. But that criticism was quickly countered. “It was about minutes. And in the images we see that there were no more people on the street, except for the injured,” it sounds. “Emergency personnel were in the buildings and were evacuating. There can never be enough people in such a short period of time to hermetically seal the place. We acted quickly.”