Balem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On January 23, 2025, the senior citizens’ homes in Balen lost their heating due to a gas leak during sewerage works on Veststraat. The incident occurred around 11:00 AM when construction crews accidentally struck a gas pipe. The leak has since been sealed, but repairs are expected to take several hours.
On January 23, 2025, during sewerage works on Veststraat, Balen, several senior citizens’ homes had their heating turned off. The incident occurred around 11:00 AM. Fluvius, the local utility company, took care of the gas leak quickly and shortly shut off the misplaced gas line. Municipal authorities confirmed in a statement that only senior citizens’ homes in the area were affected by the supply of gas cut off.
Fluvius was able to quickly switch off the affected gas line,
officials noted, emphasising their commitment to ensuring public safety.
The situation is being resolved, and Balen municipality has asked those affected to seek warmth at the Den Travoo service centre.
The OCMW (Public Centre for Social Welfare) maintains regular contact with residents of the care campus to proactively address their needs and prevent situations requiring additional assistance.
The OCMW services remain in close contact with the residents of the care campus to gauge whether there are any needs or requests for assistance. If necessary, heating can be provided at the Den Travoo service centre,
they stated.
An approach of this type attempts to offset residents’ acclimation to cold temperatures and potentially increase their risk of harm.
Local authorities are working hard to restore gas services as soon as possible, continuing repairs. Besides focusing on the particular problems senior citizens face immediately, it also points to larger issues about the safety of such infrastructure during the construction process. But gas leaks can be dangerous – and deadly, if not addressed quickly.
Understanding gas leaks and their implications
One of the major issues with gas leaks rests in the field of urban areas, but especially during construction activities involving digging or excavation. A problem with a gas line can put people around that line at risk, as well as those who may have to enter that space to fix or address the problem (emergency responders).
In recent years, there have been many gas leak incidents across various regions. One example happened in January 2025 when Cadent Gas Ltd said they also reported a similar event when water had entered its network in London, resulting in major disruption to services and extensive repair needed before services could be reinstated. All such incidents are a wake-up for the accuracy of planning and safety measures during infrastructure projects.
