Truck with karts burns out on industrial estate: “We woke up to loud bangs” (Erpe-Mere)

During the night from Friday to Saturday, a truck fully loaded with karts burned down completely at the new De Swaef industrial zone along the Oudenaardsesteenweg. There were no injuries, but the fire brigade was unable to prevent the truck and its contents from completely burning out. There was also material damage to the outside of a nearby warehouse.

It was around four o’clock that local residents on Oudenaardsesteenweg woke up by loud bangs and saw a fireball in the industrial zone. “It was unreal,” he said. “Everyone in the neighborhood was woken up by the loud bangs in the middle of the night.” (Read more below the photo)

It was fire brigade teams from Lede, Aalst and Moorsel who rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, emergency services found a truck on fire. “It was a truck, loaded with karts, that had caught fire,” says Peter Dreelinck of the Leeds fire brigade. “The truck was also next to a lead. The building was also damaged on the outside, but fortunately we were able to prevent the flames from spreading completely to the building. There is no damage inside the warehouse. However, the truck and its contents turned out to be beyond saving and completely burned out.”

No one was injured but the material damage is enormous. It is still unclear how the fire on the truck could have started.