Five killed in school construction site collapse in Belgium

People look at the rubble of a building that partially collapsed in Antwerp, Belgium, Friday, June 18, 2021.
People look at the rubble of a building that partially collapsed in Antwerp, Belgium, Friday, June 18, 2021. Copyright Francisco Seco/AP
By AP with Euronews
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Five construction workers were confirmed dead on Saturday after a school building site partially collapsed in the Belgian city of Antwerp.

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Part of a school undergoing building work has collapsed in the Belgian city of Antwerp, killing five workers and injuring nine others.

The incident took place on Friday and an investigation is now underway into the cause, local authorities said on Saturday.

Firefighters and rescue dogs worked through the night to pull out the victims one by one, while the construction company cleared rubble and worked to secure the site.

As of Saturday, all the construction workers who had been at the site had been accounted for. Belgian media reported that they  included citizens of Portugal, Romania and Ukraine.

Of those who were injured, three were in intensive care, five others were hospitalised and one had been released, according to the fire service.

No students were in the building when the accident happened.

Belgium's King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo visited the site on Saturday. "Courage and strength to the families and relatives of the victims, best wishes to all injured," the Royal Palace tweeted after the visit.

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