A security scare near Antwerp Central Station ended on Tuesday morning after bomb disposal experts determined that a suspicious backpack contained only nitrous oxide canisters.
The alert prompted the closure of Pelikaanstraat and disrupted rail and public transport services for several hours.
The backpack was discovered shortly after 06:00 in the portico of the Diamond Exchange opposite the station.
Police said security personnel had reported the bag after it was left behind in suspicious circumstances.
As a precaution, Pelikaanstraat was closed between Vestingstraat and Lange Kievitstraat to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Several entrances to the station were also temporarily shut, while tracks 1, 2 and 3 were taken out of service.
"We are not taking any risks in this matter," Antwerp police spokesperson Wouter Bruyns said during the operation.
Members of the DOVO were called to the scene and deployed a robot to investigate the bag.
The robot fired a controlled shot at the backpack before experts carried out a closer inspection.
They subsequently confirmed that the bag contained nitrous oxide bottles, commonly known as laughing gas canisters.
Authorities described the incident as an unfortunate case of abandoned illegal dumping that nevertheless had significant consequences for transport in the area.
Pelikaanstraat reopened to all traffic at around 09:15.
Rail operator National Railway Company of Belgium had been forced to divert trains to alternative platforms throughout the morning, while buses operated by De Lijn were unable to use Pelikaanstraat.
Pre-metro services continued operating normally during the disruption.
