9 Bodies Found in Belgian Apartment Block Rubble

Firemen try to extinguish the fire caused by a gas exlosion in a building of five floors at Leopold street, Liege city center, Belgium. Photo by BGNES

Nine people died when a block of flats collapsed in the city of Liege in eastern Belgium, officials say.

Rescue work has been suspended amid fears that neighbouring buildings could also collapse. Twenty-one people were injured, three of them seriously, the BBC reported.

An explosion tore through the building at around 0200 on Wednesday, starting a fire. Then the five-storey building collapsed at around 0700.

Officials said the explosion was probably caused by a gas leak.

The blast blew out the windows of the city hall, 100m away, and spread dust throughout nearby streets.

It caused a fire that raged through the apartment block and billowed thick smoke.

Firemen evacuated the building and tried to douse the fire, but had to flee when the building fell down.

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