Explosion in Belgium Not Terrorism: Gas Blast In Chimay Kills At Least One
According to ABC News, reports are coming in of a large explosion in Belgium at a sports center in the small town of Chimay. Based on the latest information, there is one reported death and a number of other injured. As reported by The Guardian, it is also believed that an unknown number of others are trapped inside the building or buried under rubble. Many at first jumped to the conclusion that this was an attack, but the most recent information indicates that this was the result of a gas explosion, not an act of terrorism. Although given the outbreak of terrorist-related violence in much of Europe and the April attack at the Brussels airport that killed 32 people, authorities were no doubt assuming that it was another such terrorist explosion.
At least 1 dead after accidental explosion rocks sports center in Belgian town – Business Insider https://t.co/HGY9Tv9PvA
— Natur Disaster (@NaturDisaster) August 26, 2016
Rescue crews and police have raced to the scene and are attempting to deal with the emergency, a sight which in recent months has become something all too common throughout much of Europe. France in particular – Belgium’s southern neighbor – has experienced a number of terrorist-related attacks, including incidents in both Cannes and Nice. The fact that this is unrelated to terrorism will not calm fears.
The tiny hamlet of Chimay has a population of less than 10,000 and is located only miles from the French border to the south and roughly 50 miles from Brussels. A quiet out-of-the-way location, Chimay borders on a major French national forest and rarely experiences anything other than peace and quiet.
UPDATE: Officials say Belgium blast was likely a gas explosion; nothing indicates it was a militant attack. https://t.co/u9floS76h7
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) August 26, 2016
Over the summer, both Belgium and France have been rocked by a huge rise in the number of explosions, shootings, and other attacks believed to be related to Islamic extremists. These incidents have shaken the citizens of these two countries – as well as the rest of Europe – leading to calls for restrictions on immigration and the banning of symbols and clothing representative of the Islamic culture.
There has been an explosion of anger in France in particular over the deaths that have taken place there recently. Right-wing politicians throughout France have been gaining ground in their argument that restrictive and harsh measures should be taken against the Islamic populations living in that country. This is despite the fact that leaders of the Islamic community in France have denounced these explosions and attacks.
France itself has seen many of its municipalities recently instituting so-called “burkini bans” forbidding Muslim women from wearing the full body swimsuits they prefer when going to European beaches. These bans were instituted following the recent attacks in France, and go hand-in-hand with France’s national ban of burqas in general.
Many people in these countries have pointed out the fact that the institution of restrictive rules and regulations aimed at a particular religious minority – in this case Muslims – is unlikely to have the positive outcome that advocates of such bans seem to believe it will. On the contrary, many terrorism experts feel that such restrictions targeting Muslims will only marginalize them further and create greater radicalism.
An explosion at a sports centre in the Belgian town of Chimay has killed at least one person. https://t.co/4eFZeQhinx
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) August 26, 2016
Of course, the explosion in Belgium seems to be simply an accident. Nevertheless, nerves are still on edge across the continent.
[Image via YouTube]
