An explosion was reported in Saint-Gilles on Wednesday evening – the latest incident in a violence-filled week in the municipality, with two explosions and two shootings taking place there in the space of five days.
Police were called to Rue du Céleri (close to Place de Bethléem, a known drug hotspot) on Wednesday amid reports of an explosion in the area. The Brussels-Midi police zone (Anderlecht, Forest and Saint-Gilles) confirmed that the street was cordoned off.
"There was only material damage. The army's bomb disposal unit (DOVO) and the police attended the scene. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident," a spokesperson for the Midi police district told Belga News Agency.
This followed an explosion on Tuesday night in nearby Rue de Bosnie, likely caused by fireworks. It is currently unclear whether the two incidents are related.
Shootings
Saint-Gilles was the scene of two shootings this week. The first took place on Rue du Métal, a stone's throw from the Parvis de Saint-Gilles. The shooting started last Saturday at around 3am.
The second shooting occurred around 5am on Monday morning on Rue de Prague, a few hundred metres from the first incident and a bit closer to Place de Bethléem. In both cases, the front of a house was targeted.
"The impacts are not on the facade, but on the window," one resident living on Rue du Métal told Sudinfo. "There were people behind it. It could have just as easily been the window of the apartment next door, which overlooks a baby's bedroom," they said.
It appears to have been a targeted attack on the property. Last Saturday, the mayor of Saint-Gilles, Jean Spinette (PS), explained that it is home to two young people known to the police.
"We already had to ban them from Place de Bethléem to prevent them from dealing drugs and to keep them away from dangerous places," he told reporters.
Bullet hole after a shooting in Brussels. Credit: Belga
Local residents fear that tensions will continue to run high.
"We thought we were in an area of Saint-Gilles that was still safe," one of them told the news outlet, explaining that drug dealing is generally concentrated around Place de Bethléem, Porte de Hal and Place Louis Morichar.
"You can feel the tension rising. The square is dead," he said. "We know there's a lot of dealing going on there."
According to figures provided by the police to Bruzz, Brussels has seen 96 shootings in 2025 – a record that already exceeds that of 2024 (92). These figures were recorded on 15 December, meaning there are two more weeks to go.
These shootings have resulted in eight deaths (one fewer than in 2024) and 48 injuries (compared to 43 in 2024). Still, the capital is clearly under strain. Just three years ago, in 2022, Brussels recorded "only" 56 shootings in a year.
