Explosion blows in front door of Belgian home, car torched nearby
An explosive device blew in the front door of a house in Maasmechelen on Friday night; no one was hurt, and a car was later destroyed by fire nearby.
An explosive device blew the front door of a house into the hallway in Maasmechelen, Belgium, on Friday evening, shortly after 21:00, Dutch-language outlet HLN reported. No one in the house was hurt, though the father said he suffered hearing problems and dizziness from the blast.
The family of six, including four children, had lived in the house on Neerveldstraat for 11 years without previous problems, the father told HLN, saying he did not understand why his family had been targeted. Two sons were not home at the time; two daughters were.
Police carried out a neighbourhood investigation and obtained camera footage from several addresses; it was not clear whether a specific resident was the target, and police declined to comment further given the ongoing investigation. Prosecutors have appealed for witnesses or anyone with footage from before, during or after the blast to come forward.
It is not the first time explosive or firework devices have been set off at targeted addresses in Maasmechelen; a January 2023 investigation into two such attacks on one resident found the perpetrators were on average 18 years old and linked to the drugs trade, HLN reported. A Fiat 500 was separately destroyed by fire in the town, according to Het Belang van Limburg and Het Nieuwsblad.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · HLN An explosive device blew the front door of a house in Maasmechelen into the hallway on Friday night; no one was hurt.
- 1 outlet · HLN The family of six, including four children, had lived there 11 years without previous problems, the father said.
- 1 outlet · HLN Police are investigating; it is unclear whether a specific resident was the target.
- 1 outlet · HLN A previous investigation into similar device attacks in Maasmechelen, in January 2023, found links to the drugs trade.
- 2+ outlets · Het Belang van Limburg, Het Nieuwsblad A car, a Fiat 500, was separately destroyed by fire in the town.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Maasmechelen has seen a pattern of explosive and firework devices set off at targeted homes, with a previous police investigation linking such attacks to the drugs trade. A blast strong enough to blow in a front door, in a house with four children, raises questions for residents about whether similar targeted attacks could recur.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Het Belang van Limburg: Na explosie nu ook autobrand in Maasmechelen: Fiat 500 brandt volledig uit
- Het Nieuwsblad: Na explosie nu ook autobrand in Maasmechelen: Fiat 500 brandt volledig uit
- HLN: “Er hing overal rook en onder mijn sloffen voelde ik gebroken glas”: gezin reageert na explosie aan woning in Maasmechelen
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Was anyone hurt in the explosion?
- No. The father reported hearing problems and dizziness from the blast, but no one was injured.
- Has anything like this happened before in Maasmechelen?
- Yes. A January 2023 investigation into two device attacks on one resident found links to the drugs trade.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.