Construction workers in Belgium have struck actual gold — uncovering roughly €9 million (NZ$17.6 million) worth of gold bars and coins hidden in a chest bricked into a cellar wall during renovation work this week.
Police in the East Flanders town of Dendermonde are now urging treasure hunters to stay away from the site, after news of the find drew dozens of curious visitors and would-be gold-seekers.
Workers from construction firm De Brand stumbled on the stash on Tuesday while doing groundworks to lay a sewer pipe at a building being renovated for local social services charity CAW Oost-Vlaanderen (CAW East Flanders). They immediately alerted their client and police.
“The gold consists of numbered gold ingots and old gold coins, hidden in a chest in the cellar,” said Geert Hillaert of CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, who saw the find himself.
After launching an investigation, police warned people against attending the site to search for more treasure, saying the house was “turned upside down” and all the gold had been moved to a secure location.
The property currently belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, which provides welfare support in Dendermonde, a Flemish community of around 47,000 people.
Its director, Geert Hillaert, said his first reaction was “surprise and amazement”, adding that he hoped the treasure might eventually be used to support the charity’s work and meet the “enormous need we experience daily”.