Bomb explodes at Brussels criminology institute, no casualties - UPDATE

Stephen Jones
Daily Mirror (UK)
Mon, 29 Aug 2016 06:12 UTC

© Geoffrey Henriot

The flames resulting from the bomb explosion blast could be seen for miles

Shortly before 02:30 local time (00:30 UK time), a car rammed through three fences - then 'one or more' suspects reportedly detonated a bomb near the scientific laboratories

A manhunt is underway for suspects behind a bomb explosion at top crime labs in Brussels in the early hours of this morning.

A car rammed through three fences before the blast at the Belgium's Institute of Criminology - setting fire to the building and causing extensive damage.

Police - who have been deployed in force in the area which is cordoned off - are hunting for at least one or more suspects who then detonated a bomb.

There were no casualties, Belgian media say.

Shortly before 02:30 local time (00:30 UK time), a car rammed through three fences, RTL Belgium reports.

"One or more" suspects then reportedly detonated a bomb near the laboratories.

The institute - located in Neder-Over-Hembeek, a suburb north of Brussels - is linked to the Belgian ministry of justice and carries out forensic investigations into criminal cases.

Belgium's terror alert level remains high since bomb attacks on Brussels airport and the city's metro claimed by so-called Islamic State killed 32 people in March.

The independent institute, linked to Belgium's federal justice body, is in Neder-Over-Hembeek, a suburb north of Brussels.

Scientific analysis linked to criminal cases is carried out at the site.

It is unclear what happened to the suspects behind the blast, which Belgian media said had caused "significant" damage.

Comment: Five men have been detained. At this point, police are thinking it was deliberate arson linked with organized crime:

Five men suspected of setting fire to the Brussels Criminology Institute have been detained, a prosecution spokeswoman told Reuters, adding that the attack was more likely linked to organized crime than terrorism.

"It was arson, deliberate arson, at the laboratory of the federal police," prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch said. "With a fire you get explosions, but it's not that explosives were thrown inside or installed."
...
It is suspected that the fire was set to get rid of "several files," Wymersch told AP.

"It is a path we are looking down. But certainly not the first one we are thinking about," Reuters cites the spokeswoman as saying. "We are thinking more of deliberate arson by organized crime. We have no indications that it was terrorism."

The blast heard by locals could have been caused by combustible substances stored inside the institute rather than an explosive, Wymersch added.