Belgium: Workers find €9 million gold treasure in cellar

Construction workers in Dendermonde, Belgium, have discovered a gold treasure valued at approximately 9 million euros. The find occurred during renovation work on a property owned by the welfare organization CAW Oost-Vlaanderen. While drilling to install new sewage pipes in the foundations of what was once an old brewery, the crew uncovered a cache of gold bars and coins hidden within the cellar walls.

The discovery included roughly 40 gold bars and 4,000 coins. Some of the bars reportedly bear stamps dating back to the 1960s. One of the workers, an 18-year-old student named Kobe Phillips, was among the first to notice the coins, initially mistaking them for one-euro pieces before realizing the true nature of the find.

Police have secured the site and transferred the gold to a safe, guarded location. An investigation is underway to determine the origin of the treasure and identify any rightful owners. Under Belgian law, a legitimate owner has five years to claim the find. If no owner is identified and no criminal links are found, the treasure may be divided between the finders and the property owner.