National Bank evacuated after suspicious vehicle spotted outside
The building that houses the National Bank of Belgium was evacuated for a time on Tuesday after a suspicious vehicle was spotted parked nearby. Around 1,200 people that work at the bank were forced to leave the building. The police and the bomb disposal service DOVO found nothing untoward in the vehicle. The owner of the van was taken away for questioning.
Brussels police were contacted by a person responsible for security at the National Bank of Belgium at around 7:40am. They reported a suspicious van that was parked near to the bank. The police left nothing to chance and a 200 metre security cordon was set up around the bank.
The Brussels-Capital-Elsene Local Police Service Spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keer told journalists that “The whole of the Berliamontlaan between the Keizerinlaan and the Pacheolaan was closed in both directions”. The security cordon has since been lifted.
Experts from the army bomb disposal unit DOVO attended the scene to check is there were explosive in the van. However, nothing was found. The owner of the van was taken away for questioning.