The Mayor of Bastogne, Benoît Lutgen, stated that the explosion which took place on Tuesday evening, in a dwelling in the centre of Bastogne, left three seriously injured. Vital prognosis is under way for all of them. The mayor said during a press conference that this was a “tragedy for the commune of Bastogne.” He added that those injured were “young” ut not give a more precise indication as to their age.
One of these people suffered the full force of the explosion, whilst she walked in front of the dwelling located on Rue Joseph-Renquin. The two other seriously injured individuals were inside the building when the explosion reverberated through it.
The Mayor of Bastogne stated that these three seriously injured people were admitted to major burns units, being Neder-over-Heembeek and Charleroi. Others who were slightly injured were admitted to different hospitals in the region, in Marche, Bastogne and Arlon.
Captain Stéphane Thiry, from the Luxembourg emergency recovery area, said that nine individuals were admitted to hospital for various injuries or being in a state of shock. As indicated above, he also said that the three seriously injured individuals were transported to specialist major burns units. Residents who will have to be rehoused have been taken in by CPAS and the municipal services in the commune.
As to the cause of the explosion, Benoît Lutgen indicated on Tuesday evening, “The favoured theory is a gas leak.” However, the investigation must determine with certainty the causes of the tragedy. He mentioned that, “a priori”, the origin of the explosion was in “the basement” of the dwelling. Moreover, gas cylinders were found by the emergency services who attended at the scene en masse, but this discovery alone has not enabled the conclusion to be drawn with certainty that it was an accident linked to the gas leak.
The Brussels Times
