1 person was slightly injured in a large explosion that wrecked part of a building on Ghent University’s (UGent) veterinary school campus at Merelbeke (East Flanders) on Wednesday morning. The injured person was taken to hospital after having sustained damage to their hearing but has since been able to return to work.
Several ponies have also been evacuated from the vicinity of the damaged building. The Mayor of Merelbeke Egbert Lachaert (liberal) told VRT News that “The explosion was caused by an accumulation of methane gas in a compost storage facility. The is a lot of material damage, but fortunate just 1 person was slightly injured”.
Mayor Lachaert added that "This could have been much worse. The injured person sustained temporary damage to their hearing and was taken to hospital. They were stood relatively close to the scene of the explosion”.
The injured person was a member of staff at the veterinary school. They have since returned to work.
Area around the explosion cordoned off
The area around the research facility on the Sailsburylaan remained cordoned off all Wednesday morning.
The campus has since reopened, but the damaged building remains inaccessible due to potential stability issue.
Ponies evacuated
The other buildings on the veterinary school campus are open and teaching and research is continuing as planned. The ponies that live on the campus have been taken to safety.