The rescue operation in Turnhout will continue all night after the suspected gas explosion. That is why, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, a large light installation has been installed. Rescuers have been trying for hours to free a woman trapped under the rubble. They first tried to dig a tunnel, but ultimately found it too unsafe.
Rescuers must exercise caution when searching for victims. There are fears that the roof could come down as walls collapsed from the explosion. “The stability of the building is not good. But it is important that we move forward as quickly as possible to find any victims,” said Mayor Paul Van Miert, according to the VRT. “We have to take away piece by piece, piece by piece.”
The explosion happened around 8:15 a.m. Friday morning and caused massive havoc. Part of the building has collapsed. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, a 28-year-old resident spoke about a huge bang. “We looked out the window, but only saw rocks and metal flying around. It seemed like we were in a war.”
It proved difficult to determine exactly how many people were under the rubble. Authorities previously spoke of eight missing persons, but this subsequently became unclear. Some residents turned out not to be at home, but others may have had visitors. At least one injured person was quickly rescued and taken to hospital.
The mayor has asked residents to spend as little time as possible with fireworks during the New Year’s Eve festivities. “Not only for the serenity after this disaster, but also not to overload the emergency services who are very busy here.”