Over 70 people were evacuated from their homes in a town in Charleroi in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a car crash caused a major gas leak in the neighbourhood.
The Charleroi police started chasing an Audi car after spotting that it was speeding and driving dangerously at around 1:00 AM on the road from Montigny to Gilly.
The driver of the Audi crashed into three parked cars in Gilly, one of which hit and damaged a nearby gas supply line, causing a major leak.
The driver of the Audi, whose car was badly damaged in the crash, tried to escape on foot but was caught by the police.
Firefighters arrived quickly at the scene, as well as ambulances and a team from Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Service (SMUR).
As it became clear that gas was leaking into many houses in the neighbourhood, over 70 people were forced to evacuate their homes in the middle of the night.
Evacuees were taken outside of the security perimeter that had been established by the police and subsequently brought to the Saint-Joseph Hospital in Gilly.
The evacuees were allowed to return home at around 6:00 AM on Wednesday morning.
Authorities anticipate the gas leak to be repaired on Wednesday.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
