At least 14 killed and 200 injured in Belgium gas explosion

An explosion killed at least 14 people today at a gas works outside Brussels and injured 200 others, including firefighters and police responding to the blast.

The explosion in the industrial area of Ghislenghien, about 20 miles south-east of Brussels, happened after construction workers pierced an underground gas distribution line, said the acting provincial governor Guy Petit.

Two nearby factories also caught fire from the morning blast, which was reportedly felt several miles away.

Residents were advised to stay indoors with their windows and doors shut to keep out the heavy smoke that hung over the area, but the Health Ministry said it was not toxic and no evacuation was ordered.

Army units were called in to help coordinate the disaster response, involving dozens of ambulances and six military hospitals to ferry victims to area hospitals, including a military hospital burn unit.

Officials in northern France also sent 10 vehicles, a medical unit and a helicopter to help out.

The E429 motorway through the area was closed, with cars forced to exit at Ath or Enghien.

A Health Ministry spokesman said at least 14 people were killed and 200 others injured, at least two dozen seriously.

Gas distributor Fluxys said the natural gas line that exploded ran from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to France. It said a leak was reported Friday morning, and half an hour later the explosion occurred.

Firefighters and police were at the scene at the time of the blast investigating the leak and were among the injured, according to the Interior Ministry.

The company said disruptions to gas supply were minor.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was returning Friday on a military aircraft from his Italian vacation in Tuscany, as was Social Affairs Minister Rudy Demotte, who was on vacation in Bulgaria.