Explosion destroyed three homes; collapsed and trapped residents in Belgium

At lunchtime, a heavy explosion occurred in a suburb of Belgian Antwerp on Tuesday. At least three houses have been completely destroyed and several are damaged, Reuter´s news agency reports.

At least two persons have been rescued from the remains of the houses and an unknown number of people are feared to be trapped under the rubble, writes Belgian VRT.

What has caused the explosion is currently unknown, but Antwerp's mayor, Bart De Wever, is tweeting about the possibility of a gas explosion.

Several people are feared to be trapped in the collapsed homes in Wilrijk, near Antwerp, Belgium.

Rescue workers have pulled two people out of their house, but believe more people may be left inside, writes Frankfurter Allgemeine. One of the trapped residents are allegedly very severely injured.

The photos and videos from the scene are dramatic, showing rescue personnel standing on top of collapsed walls and roofs.

 

Photo: Virginia Mayo