Brussels gas explosion kills one and seriously injures three in Saint-Gilles

Updated: 21 March 2017, 12:16 CET — A gas-related explosion tore through a home on Chaussée de Waterloo in Saint-Gilles at about 16:00 on Saturday, 18 March, killing one man and injuring seven people, three seriously, according to the Brussels public prosecutor’s office as reported by BRUZZ. The blast occurred near the Barrière de Saint-Gilles and was followed by a fire.

The prosecutor’s office identified the man who died as 46-year-old Dragan Nikolic, BRUZZ reported on Tuesday. Firefighters recovered his body from beneath the rubble at about 22:00 on Saturday. Two children, aged two and 15, were among the three people seriously injured, according to the prosecutor’s account carried by RTL Info. The seven injured residents were taken to two hospitals.

The force of the explosion severely damaged two adjoining houses. Brussels fire brigade spokesperson Pierre Meys told BRUZZ that one house had been blown apart and that only the façade remained standing on the other. Upper floors and part of a façade collapsed, while debris landed in the street and damaged parked vehicles, according to the Brussels South police zone.

A fire expert appointed by the prosecutor’s office concluded that a problem involving gas pipes caused the explosion, BRUZZ reported. Investigators found no indication of a deliberate act or third-party involvement. The precise location of the leak could not be established because of the extensive destruction, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The emergency response disrupted public transport around the Barrière. RTL Info reported that STIB diverted bus 48 and tram routes 81 and 97 while police maintained a safety perimeter. About 15 people were evacuated from nearby buildings, according to an AFP account carried by TF1 Info.

The incident had an immediate human and neighbourhood impact: residents lost their homes, local streets and public transport were disrupted, and damaged buildings required structural assessment. The investigation’s central finding is that the blast was accidental, but the inability to locate the exact leak limits what authorities can establish about the mechanical sequence that led to it. Any further steps will depend on the prosecutor’s technical file, building-safety decisions and arrangements for displaced residents.