Treasure found in Belgium house wall
Workers renovating an old house in Belgium have discovered a huge treasure trove of gold bars and coins worth a total of nine million euros in a basement wall beneath it.
Treasure found in wall of house in Belgium
Builders were demolishing a basement wall to make way for sewer pipes when they unexpectedly stumbled upon a treasure.
"At first I thought they were 1-euro coins. But then I saw a gold bar next to it. That's when we realized we had found something bigger," Kobe, an 18-year-old student who was part of the team, told Belgian broadcaster VRT.
The builders didn't think about keeping the treasure and immediately called the police.
"There were so many coins and bars there - it was impossible to hide it," foreman Mario told VRT. "Yes, it would have been a robbery."
"Nine million euros - you can't hide that much," Kobe agrees.
In the photos released by the police, it can be seen that all the gold bars are marked, but it is not clear what period they and the coins belong to. There is also no information about when and how they were placed in the wall.
According to local media, the house in the northern Belgian district of Dendermonde where the treasure was found has belonged to a beer entrepreneur since the late 19th century. Currently, workers are completely rebuilding it for the needs of the social welfare organization CAW Oost-Vlaanderen in Dendermonde (the organization that bought the building).
The director of CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, Gert Hillert, told reporters that he was very happy with the amazing find and hoped that the wealth would be donated to a charity and used for people.
But according to Belgian media, it will not be easy.
First, according to journalists, the treasure must be divided between the workers who found it and the organization that owns the house.
Secondly, according to Belgian law, there is a five-year waiting period for the rightful owner of the treasure to appear.
Thirdly, if it turns out that the hidden treasure was obtained through criminal means, the treasure will not go to either party.
Local police have launched an investigation, and people have been asked not to go to the house where the "gold was found", as it has already been razed and the treasure has been moved to a safe place.
At the same time, the police expressed hope that the "right place" for the treasure will be found and that it will help change people's lives for the better.