A serious explosion happened in a family home in the Gasthuisstraat in Balen last night around 3 a.m. The garage door was blown out, a number of windows were shattered and other rooms were also damaged.
“The cause arose in the bathroom, but what exactly exploded is currently unclear,” says Kristof Geens of Kempen Fire Zone. “It appears that there was no gas installation in the room, but the explosion must have been powerful because the garage door flew out.”
Upstairs neighbor Angeline Boom testifies: “We were sleeping when we heard a loud bang around 3 a.m. last night. When we went to take a look we saw that the garage door was dislocated. When we came downstairs the fire brigade had already been called and the mother was standing outside with the child. There is quite a lot of damage. They were very lucky.”
The young family was unharmed. The mother and baby were taken to hospital as a precaution. The family’s home in the apartment building was declared uninhabitable. Temporary shelter was provided together with the municipality of Balen.(sg)
Tags: Major explosion home Balen young family unharmed garage door blown Balen
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