Five people were injured in a gas cylinder explosion at the Christmas market in Maredsous, Belgium. The incident occurred at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday in a market stall near the abbey in the municipality of Anhée, Namur province.
A fire broke out after the explosion and engulfed a wooden structure. Two of the victims are in critical condition. One was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Liège, while the second was expected to be taken to the military hospital in Neder-Over-Heembeek, although this had not yet been confirmed.
Anhée Mayor Pierre Rondia said that a third person had suffered burns, while two others had sustained minor injuries. “The situation is now completely under control,” Rondia said. According to him, the cause was an accidental propane cylinder explosion.
Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that three people had been seriously injured, two of them critically, while the figures cited by the mayor and Belga news agency described one victim with burns and two with less serious injuries. The exact circumstances surrounding the explosion are still being investigated.
The market is closed
Firefighters from the Dinaphi emergency zone brought the fire under control in a short time. Two stalls were completely destroyed, while two other adjacent stalls were damaged. The market was evacuated and closed to visitors.
The Namur public prosecutor’s office was informed, and an expert was appointed at the scene to determine the cause of the incident. The Christmas market in Maredsous officially opened on November 13. At the organizers’ and municipality’s decision, it remained closed after the fire as a sign of respect for those affected.
Sources: brusselstimes.com, infos-prod.rtl.lu, vrt.be