Zaventem residents brought a grenade to a local police station on Saturday, prompting a partial evacuation and a call-out to Belgium’s bomb disposal service, local police have confirmed.
Police said the device was handed in at about 17:00 after several people found it while cleaning a nearby area and decided to transport it to the station in a bucket.
Officers immediately told them to place the bucket carefully on the floor and leave the building, according to police spokesperson Jana Berghman.
The reception area and nearby offices were then evacuated, a security perimeter was set up, and the Service for Removal and Destruction of Explosive Devices (Sedee) was alerted.
The army’s bomb disposal unit attended the scene and removed the explosive device, Berghman said.
Following the incident, Zaventem police again warned the public not to touch or move grenades or other explosives if they are found.
Instead, police said people should immediately contact the emergency services and move away from the area, evacuating the surroundings if possible.
