Around 3,500 people were evacuated Monday afternoon in Ghent after the discovery of a suspicious suitcase in the Ledeganckstraat, according to local police.
The emergency services arrived on site around 2:30 p. m. The suitcase was between two vehicles. The police took no risks and evacuated buildings from the university (UGent), a high school (HoGent) and a primary school. This manoeuvre went smoothly. The demining service (SEDEE) was on site, police said.
“We were informed around 2 pm that a suspicious suitcase had been found between two vehicles, so we preventively evacuated the school buildings and set up a perimeter,” said Chief Inspector Eva Houpels, according to HLN. “It is always difficult to make an exact estimate of the threat at such a moment. There were many students in the surrounding buildings, so we decided to take it for granted. “
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