The E34 motorway to Lille in Antwerp Province was reopened in both directions on Thursday evening after being blocked by multiple accidents during a severe hailstorm.
At around 5 p.m., several drivers were caught off guard by the hail, which caused the roadway to become slippery across a 500-metre stretch. This led to a series of accidents.
Heading towards the Netherlands, eight vehicles were involved in multiple collisions. For a time, traffic was restricted to the emergency lane. The lanes in the direction of the Netherlands were cleared first on Thursday evening.
In the direction of Antwerp, a motorcyclist tragically lost their life in an accident. Drivers heading that way were rerouted via Exit 22 at Beerse for several hours before traffic was restored later in the evening.
