Gas Leak in Namur Forces Evacuation of 200 Residents

A significant gas leak on Rue Salzinnes les Moulins in Namur, Belgium, forced the evacuation of approximately 200 residents late Monday evening, according to RTBF. Emergency services and Ores, the regional gas and electricity distributor, worked through the night to contain the leak, allowing all residents to return home by early Tuesday morning.

Incident Details

The leak was first detected late Monday evening, May 25, when residents reported a suspicious odor. An investigation revealed that a fault in an underground high-voltage electrical cable had damaged a gas pipe, causing gas to escape into the air and spread into the sewer system.

Frédéric Boogaerts, communications officer for Ores, explained the cause: “A fault on a high-voltage cable caused damage to a gas pipe, which led to a gas escape,” as reported by L’Avenir.

Evacuation and Emergency Response

A security perimeter was established immediately, and approximately 200 nearby residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure. About 50 people were taken to the Tabora facility in Namur, while others stayed with family or friends.

Charlotte Bazelaire, the Mayor of Namur, provided updates throughout the night. “We received the good news that people could progressively return home and everyone was back by early morning,” she said. “Some were housed with family or friends, and about fifty people went to Tabora.”

Ores teams worked through the night to secure the site. “The situation mobilized our teams for whom the priority was obviously the evacuation of the gas and repairing the leak caused,” Boogaerts told L’Avenir.

Traffic and Transport Disruptions

The leak caused significant but temporary disruptions to local traffic and transport. Part of Rue Salzinnes les Moulins remains closed to vehicles, with diversions in place for cars and TEC buses. Train traffic was interrupted Monday evening but resumed normally by Tuesday morning. Authorities expected a full return to normal traffic conditions by Tuesday evening.

Gas Supply and Repairs

Ores confirmed that the leak has been sealed and repair work on the damaged pipe is ongoing. Gas supply was cut only for professional and industrial clients in the affected area; residential customers were not impacted. Gas will be restored to those clients once the pipe is fully repaired.

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

What’s Next

While the immediate danger has passed, questions remain about the root cause of the high-voltage cable fault that triggered the leak. Residents and local authorities will be looking to Ores for assurances that measures are in place to prevent similar incidents in the future. The full repair of the gas infrastructure and the reopening of Rue Salzinnes les Moulins to normal traffic are expected to be completed by the end of Tuesday.