Quiet New Year’s Eve except for the Ostend police

Various reports of fireworks

Around 11 p.m., the police received a few reports about the setting off of fireworks. During the end of the year, however, there is a total ban on fireworks throughout the entire territory of the city. Especially on the beach and in squares, several people apparently ventured anyway. In addition, the police also received reports of bombs between and under cars and in the vicinity of pedestrians. However, there was no damage or injuries. The low-noise end-of-year fireworks on the beach were canceled due to the strong gusts of wind.

Pleasant bustle in the entertainment district

The police were also called several times for thefts in the entertainment district. Most of the cases involved money or wallets stolen from unattended or improperly closed handbags. “A perpetrator could be caught by our services and the case is under further investigation,” says a statement from the police. In addition to a few reports about night noise and noise pollution, it remained relatively quiet in the entertainment district.

From 2 o’clock there were some struggles that involved pushing and pulling. No one was injured in those incidents. One person was administratively deprived of his liberty for disturbing public order, while three others were administratively arrested for public drunkenness.

Finally, a heavy rain shower around 4 o’clock caused the festivities in the Langestraat to come to a halt. There were no police interventions at the big parties in the Casino-Kursaal and in the lounge of the Kursaal, so everything went according to plan.

Rest of the province

In the rest of the province, New Year’s Eve went well and quietly. There have been a few reports here and there. In Koksijde, a report came in around 8 p.m. about smoke development in an apartment building on the Zeedijk. In the end it turned out to be a malfunctioning ventilation of a fireplace, there were no injuries. The residents evacuated the building in time. Also in Koksijde, an ambulance with the help of a fire brigade with ladder was requested around 11 p.m. in Kursaallaan.

In Kortrijk, two police officers were injured. There was a fight going on at Kortrijk Xpo, where the New Year’s Eve party Cheers was organized. The two officers tried to separate the hotheads, but were injured in the process. Three suspects have been arrested. Apart from this incident, it was a quiet night in Kortrijk.

Nine partygoers were arrested in Bruges. Various bombs and fireworks arrows were also seized. However, four home burglaries were committed in Bruges last night.

Three cars burned out in Oudenbrug during New Year’s Eve. Firefighters arrived on scene, but struggled to get the fire under control.

Burglaries were also committed in the Menen, Wevelgem and Ledegem regions. In Rekkem, residents notice when they come home that a window is open (broken open) and a sash window was damaged. The house was completely searched. The thieves made off with laptops, tablets, jewelry, etc. A burglary was also committed in Menen, the residents notice two people when they come home. The burglars flee with a car with a French number plate. The owner of the house gives chase, but the burglars are gone. A neighborhood investigation and trace investigation is underway.

During New Year’s Eve, some automatic fire alarms also went off, including in Langemark, which turned out to be a false alarm. In Ypres the alarm went off due to a burnt casserole and in Oostduinkerke the fire alarm went off in Fairybankhelling, which was covered later in the evening. In addition, the emergency services in Oostduinkerke had to turn out around 1 a.m. for a technical intervention on the Zeedijk.

It is not always easy to start the year well: just after midnight, a person locked himself out in the Lekedorpstraat in Leke. And in De Panne there was a report of flooding due to a broken tap. In Ypres, instead of pumping water away, the fire brigade had to put out the fire. There, an abandoned fireworks package caught fire.

And it turned out that New Year’s Eve is not the favorite night of the pets: five times dogs were picked up that had run away earlier. This happened in De Panne, Ypres, Poperinge, Alveringem and Kortemark.