In brief
Renovators in Belgium uncovered a massive gold hoard in a home’s cellar wall, estimated at nine million euros. The pit‑fall treasure could belong to the builders or a local charity that owns the property, and police have secured the loot. Belgian law gives owners five years to claim a hidden treasure, but if no claimant steps forward a split is possible. The find has attracted public attention and may boost a community charity’s operations.
Builders renovating a house in Belgium have uncovered a gold hoard that the wall of a cellar seemed to hide. The hidden treasure, worth about €9 million, was found while a crew drilled new sewage pipes earlier this week.
The discovery immediately sparked interest in who might rightfully claim the piles of gold bars and coins. Both the construction team and the charity that owns the property – CAW Oost‑Vlaanderen – are potential owners under Belgian law.
Police moved the gold to a secure location and warned the public against trespassing for treasure hunting. The legal process will allow a rightful owner to claim the treasure, but if no claim emerges, the finder and the property owner may be entitled to a share.
The owner, a welfare organisation, may use the fortune to support its work in Dendermonde, a community of about 47,000 residents. The find has become a public spectacle, with the police even updating its Facebook profile to a gold coin image.
