BELGIUM: Liege mayor says twenty wounded after building collapse/More may be trapped under the rubble

Record ID: 216245

  • Title: BELGIUM: Liege mayor says twenty wounded after building collapse/More may be trapped under the rubble
  • Date: 28th January 2010
  • Summary: LIEGE, BELGIUM (JANUARY 27, 2010) (REUTERS) (CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) POLICEMEN WALKING TOWARDS COLLAPSED BUILDING, SMOKE RISING FIREFIGHTERS ON CRANE IN ACTION FIREFIGHTERS ON CRANE IN ACTION OVER COLLAPSED BUILDING, SMOKE RISING FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEXT TO FIREFIGHTERS TRUCK FIREFIGHTERS TRUCK ON STREET WITH RUBBLES ON GROUND ENGINES TO CLEAN RUBBLES AT WORK O
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVACU165ABDBASFNMM9EO6TF9764
  • Story Text: 20 people were injured after a building collapsed in the centre of Liege and more may still be trapped under the rubbles, the town's mayor said.
    An apartment block in the Belgian city of Liege collapsed on Wednesday (January 27), wounding twenty and trapping some people under the rubble, the town's mayor said.
    An explosion occurred in an apartment block in the historic centre of Liege at 1.48 a.m. (0048 GMT), the town's mayor Willy Demeyer said.
    Shortly after 7 a.m. the five-story apartment block collapsed.
    The explosion damaged a number of nearby buildings.
    De Meyer said 20 people were injured and more were likely to be trapped inside.
    "20 persons were taken to hospital, among them two were heavily injured. We have secured an area so that the firefighters can work, work in order to save some people who may still be inside the building which we think is highly probable," De Meyer said.
    The emergency services told Belgian media overnight there were two persons trapped under the rubbles.
    One of them has be rescued and taken to hospital, Demeyer said.
    Jean-Marc Glissen, the head of Liege firefighters, said his team was working to save lives.
    "We indeed have had several contacts throughout the night so we still hope that we will be able to save people's lives," said Glissen.
    Demeyer and Glissen were unable to confirm how many people may still be inside.
    Didier Beer, a member of the rescue team, said he heard a voice coming from underneath.
    "Apparently, there are still four people in there. They are trying to rescue one of them, I heard the person shouting in the basement. They are in the process of getting her out, trying to find out where exactly that person is in the building," Beer said.
    Belgian media said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a gas leak.
    Demeyer confirmed media reports that a gas leak had been reported in the same building last Saturday (January 23) with the intervention of the fire brigade.
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