Two killed as explosion destroys buildings in Belgium’s Antwerp

Police said two bodies were found under the debris on Tuesday following the blast on Monday evening.

Two people were killed and 14 injured when an explosion in the Belgian city of Antwerp destroyed three buildings.

Firefighters rescue a man following the collapse of a building, at the Paardenmarkt in Antwerp on January 15 after several buildings collapsed following an explosion. (AFP)

Police said two bodies were found under the debris on Tuesday following the blast on Monday evening. Five people were seriously injured and another was in a critical condition after the explosion in a part of the city where many students live.

Police said an investigation was underway into the cause of the blast. They have excluded it being the result of an attack. Belgian media said it was likely to have been a gas explosion.

Belgium has been on high alert since deadly suicide bombings in 2016 and a wave of Islamist attacks across Europe.