An explosion was heard late on Sunday night in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles, not far from the Place de Bethléem. No injuries were reported.
Several residents in the lower Saint-Gilles area reported hearing a large explosion just after midnight, immediately followed by a red glow of fire seen from the neighbouring streets.
A large amount of debris was visible outside the building on Rue de Prague on Monday morning. The front door had visible damage from what would appear to be a blast.
Emergency crews confirmed they responded at around 00:25 to a "basement fire and a rubbish bin fire which then broke out along the facade", spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Brigade Walter Derieuw told The Brussels Times on Monday.
"One person was evacuated from the third floor using the ladder truck. One person was evacuated from the ground floor using a rescue hood. No one was taken to hospital," Derieuw said.
However, the cause of the explosion and the fire still needs to be determined, he added.
Damage outside the house in Rue de Prague, Saint-Gilles. Credit: The Brussels Times
It is the second explosion in Saint-Gilles in two days, after a firework explosion in the early hours of Sunday morning (03:30) on the Rue de Metal, which also damaged a front door.
However, there is no indication at this stage that these incidents are linked.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor has not yet released a statement nor confirmed whether an investigation has been launched.
Ventilation and CO measurements were taken on the scenes. Nearby residents have since been allowed to return to their homes, the fire brigade added.
