Three injured after two explosions in evacuated building near Brussels-Central

Updated 16 August 2026, CEST — Three people were injured when two explosions struck an evacuated building near Brussels-Central station in central Brussels, Het Nieuwsblad reported on Sunday. Emergency services attended the scene, but the circumstances of the blasts and the condition of the injured have not yet been set out in a publicly available statement from the authorities.

Het Nieuwsblad reported that the building had been evacuated before the explosions. That sequence is significant for the emergency response, although the report does not establish why the evacuation was ordered, how much time passed before the blasts or whether the injured people were occupants, emergency workers or others at the scene.

No official information reviewed by Belgium Pulse identifies the source of the explosions. There is therefore no verified basis at this stage to describe the incident as deliberate, accidental or gas-related. The extent of any structural damage also remains unclear, as does the number of people originally inside the building.

The location places the incident in one of Brussels’ busiest districts, used by residents, commuters, tourists and workers travelling through Brussels-Central. Het Nieuwsblad described the building as being close to the station, but its initial report did not confirm that the railway complex itself was affected. No verified closure or alteration to train or metro services had been established at the time of this update.

The Brussels Fire Brigade lists firefighting, explosion response, hazardous-material incidents and rescue operations among its formal duties. Its public guidance says residents may return to a property only after firefighters declare it safe and the competent authorities complete the necessary checks.

Central Brussels has experienced other unrelated building emergencies. In October 2024, The Brussels Times reported that an office building on Treurenberg was evacuated after solar panels caught fire; nobody was injured in that incident. The comparison illustrates the precautionary role of evacuation but does not establish any connection with Sunday’s explosions.

Investigators are expected to determine the origin and sequence of the two blasts and assess the building’s stability. Further updates are needed on the identities and medical condition of the three injured people, access around the site and any effect on public transport.