On Friday around 8.15 am, a flat on Boeren Krijglaan in Turnhout, a Belgian town on the border with the Netherlands, collapsed as a result of a suspected gas explosion. Rescue workers had contact with the woman who was rescued alive from the rubble, she was taken to hospital. One person is still missing, and rescuers are still looking for that person. Emergency services are likely to work through the night.
Mayor Van Miert 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.”
It was unclear for a long time during the day how many people were in the building at the time of the explosion. Because there are fears that the roof could fall further, rescuers must exercise caution in the search.