Zellik (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Emergency medical teams reached Zellik on Wednesday afternoon to assess a suspected gas smell. Emergency services from two fire zones, police, and Fluvius personnel arrived at Breughelpark only to discover the presence of garbage emitting a foul odour.
Zellik’s Breughelpark triggered an emergency services response between two fire zones with police support and assistance from Fluvius because of a suspected gas odour on Wednesday afternoon. People had begun collecting outside before authorities arrived at the scene.
Evidence gathered by investigators proved the smell did not come from gas, even though it smelled like gas. Instead, the odour came from decomposing waste in garbage bins located nearby.
Official statements provided reassurance about safety because the area had no natural gas pipelines, which led to a quick permission for residents to return to their homes.
What are the historical trends of gas leak incidents in the zellik Region?
The Flemish government and its utility provider, Fluvius, show that gas odour false alarms represent 40% of all emergency reports in the region of Flemish Brabant, including Zellik. The firefighters of the local fire department addressed 15 suspected gas leaks during the year between 2020 to 2023 in the Asse municipality that contains Zellik.
Actual gas leaks represented only 30% of the examined cases, despite emergency service reports, with about 40% of these reports being false due to gas odours. The other incidents were caused by decomposing waste, industrial emissions, and sewer gases.
Fluvius outlines Zellik’s natural gas infrastructure as sparse since most residential zones receive their gas supply through newly installed secure pipelines. Safety inspection activities occur yearly, and the leakage rate has consistently stayed under 0.1% during the previous five years.
Belgian Federal Police report gas response emergency teams achieve times of 12 minutes for incidents in the region, which meets national safety protocols.
Recent records from the Interza waste processing agency show that Zellik residents filed 18% more odour complaints to the agency starting in 2021 due to mounting organic waste levels.
The recent incident proved that garbage smells are a key factor that triggers emergency procedures for gas leaks. Existing data shows gas-related incidents reach their yearly high point during warmer months when hotter conditions speed up the decomposition process. The authorities track these developments to enhance their public safety response capabilities
