Construction workers in Belgium were left stunned after discovering a huge stash of gold reportedly worth around €9 million (RM42.5 million) hidden inside the walls of a building undergoing renovation.
The remarkable discovery was made on August 11 in Dendermonde, an eastern Flemish town, when workers came across a large quantity of gold while carrying out construction work.
Police were alerted after the workers uncovered the haul and later released photographs showing around 50 gold bars alongside piles of gold coins.
Belgian media reported that the treasure had been concealed inside the cellar walls of a property belonging to CAW East-Flanders, a local charity.
One worker, identified only as Kobe, told Belgian broadcaster VRT that the crew initially could not believe what they had found.
He said the gold was discovered while workers were carrying out groundwork to install a sewage pipe, adding that nobody had expected to uncover anything valuable beneath the building.
Following the discovery, authorities moved quickly to secure the treasure. Police said the gold was inventoried before being transported to a high-security federal government vault for safekeeping.
The unexpected find has already attracted the attention of treasure hunters, prompting police to issue a warning to members of the public to stay away from the fenced-off construction site.
In a light-hearted Facebook post, Dendermonde police said several treasure hunters apparently wanted to return to the location, but warned them that there was “truly” no point in doing so.
The police department even changed its profile picture to a gold coin following the extraordinary discovery.
Despite the reported RM42.5 million value of the hoard, authorities have yet to establish who legally owns the gold or whether anyone will ultimately be entitled to claim it.
Police said they hoped the treasure would eventually end up in the “right hands” as investigations into its origins and ownership continue.
