Builders renovating a house in eastern Belgium discovered a hidden stash of gold bars and coins sealed into the walls of its cellar while drilling for new sewage pipes. The trove is estimated at €9 million (£7.6 million), according to local media reports.
The construction crew promptly alerted local police, and the law enforcement agency has since moved the loot to a secure location. The police are conducting an investigation into the hoard’s origins and have cautioned the public that the site remains a construction zone.
Both the builders and the charity that owns the property—CAW Oost‑Vlaanderen, which supplies welfare services in Dendermonde—could claim the treasure under Belgian “founder’s” law. The finder has five years to register a claim, and if no claim is filed the hoard could be divided between the finder and the property owner, provided the loot is not linked to criminal activity.
Local officials and the property’s director, Geert Hillaert, expressed hope that the money could support the charity’s daily “enormous need.” Meanwhile, police have updated their social‑media imagery to a gold coin and emphasised that the discovery should “end up in the right place and change lives.”
