Residents of Steenkuilstraat in Maasmechelen were clearing debris on Tuesday morning after a gas explosion on Monday evening destroyed two homes and resulted in one fatality.
The explosion is believed to have been triggered by a resident of one of the houses opening gas lines.
Police and emergency services arrived at the scene at 18:15 on Monday in response to a detected gas odour. One resident, who has mental health issues, had caused disturbances the previous week.
Officers and firefighters evacuated nearby homes and set up a security perimeter. Distant neighbours were advised to stay indoors. During this operation, an explosion occurred around 18:45. Debris was scattered over dozens of metres into nearby driveways and gardens, and several cars suffered damage.
Firefighters from the Maasmechelen station, part of the East Limburg emergency zone, maintained a water curtain until Fluvius network management employees cut the street’s gas supply.
No area residents were injured, but emergency services suspected someone might still be inside the affected homes. Once the gas supply was cut, firefighters searched for the missing resident.
A 38-year-old man, living in the house where the explosion occurred, was found dead during the search operation. “Thanks to the vigilance of the police who promptly evacuated residents after detecting the gas odour, the number of victims was limited. They managed to evacuate two people from a neighbouring house in time,” stated the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office.
An investigation included the arrival of forensic experts, a medical examiner, and a fire specialist at the site. A search dog was also deployed but found no other victims. Authorities checked the structural integrity of surrounding homes, declaring most safe. However, the two destroyed properties were deemed uninhabitable. Affected residents received police support and were reunited with their families.
The Lanaken-Maasmechelen police, led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, are investigating the incident as an act of desperation.
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Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts is encouraged to contact the Suicide Prevention Centre hotline at 0800/32.123, which is anonymous, free, and available 24/7. More information can be found at www.preventionsuicide.be.
