Explosion causes building collapse, multiple injuries in Antwerp, Belgium 5 injured

Several people have been wounded after an explosion caused damage to a number of buildings in Antwerp, Belgium. Police believe the incident is not terrorism related.

At least one building collapsed after an explosion rocked the Paardenmarkt area in Antwerp on Monday night. The explosion at the Italian restaurant Primavera was so powerful that it caused damage to three buildings.

At least five people were injured in the explosion, police spokesman Wouter Bruyns initially told local media, stressing “there are certainly still victims under the rubble.” Later police tweeted that “10-20 victims” were initially trapped under the debris, four of whom were rescued by the emergency services. Police also said they managed to establish contact with another three victims, who were eventually pulled from the rubble.

Rescue teams deployed canine units and ladder trucks to sniff out and locate the victims. "The debris is currently very unstable and that makes the rescue difficult,” the fire department tweeted.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blast, which happened shortly after 9:30pm local time. While the cause of the blast has not yet been established, police say the explosion was “certainly not about terrorism.” With terrorism ruled out, the incident was most likely caused by a gas explosion. The Paardenmarkt is located in the center of Antwerp and is known as the city’s student hub.