Police are investigating a incident on Thursday evening during which three homemade bombs were thrown into the entrance of a Colruyt supermarket in Antwerp. No one was injured in the incident and only minor damage was caused. The bomb disposal service DOVO and forensics officers attended the scene in the Zuid area of the city. Antwerp Police say that “For the time being we are treating the incident as an attack”.
At 7:45pm on Thursday, a quarter of an hour before closing time, customers at the Colruyt supermarket in the Zuid area of Antwerp heared explosions at the entrance to the store. One of the people that work at the store told VRT News that “3 homemade bombs were thrown inside. The bombs were made out of black sand and petrol”.
Fortunately, there were no injuries and little damage was caused. “2 people did complain afterwards of discomfort to their ears and were given a medical check” Wouter Bruyns of the Antwerp Local Police Service told the VRT. Customers and staff were shocked by the incident. “This was completely unexpected. The whole shop was filled with smoke. Fortunately we were able to get everyone out safely and the was only minor damage”.
Colruyt’s regional manager Geert Gillis told VRT News that they bombs caused a lost dust and resulted in a few burn marks to the store’s floor.
Mr Gillis went on to praise his staff. "They reacted well,led the customers out of the store and immediately called the police. The police allowed us to re-enter the store just before midnight so that we could close up normally.
This morning the number of customers coming to shop at the store appears to be normal. Colruyt says that extra security staff will be deployed at the store during the coming days and that it will ensure that its staff are given the necessary care and support to deal with what’s happened.
Factoring in attack
Police will now investigate what exactly happened. “It is clearly deliberate act,’ Kristof Aerts of the Antwerp public prosecutor's office said.
“Thanks to the bomb disposal service and the federal police forensics officers the bombs were identified as being homemade incendiary devices made of fire accelerants and fireworks. It was this that caused the huge bang and some damage”.
As yet no suspects have been apprehended. The police are investigating whether the incident is linked to the trade in illegal drugs., but nothing is being ruled out for the time being.