BELGIAN STUDENT FINDS €9M GOLD HOARD IN BREWERY CELLAR

An 18-year-old student discovered a stash of gold worth an estimated €9m whilst working on a construction site in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, Belgium, on Tuesday. Kobe was laying sewage pipes at a former brewery when he and his colleagues uncovered gold bars, coins and nuggets hidden in a bricked-in cellar wall. The hoard was stashed beneath a grand villa originally built for the brewery's owner, Theophilus Van Assche, in the late 19th century. Kobe told Belgian media that he initially mistook the items for €1 coins before realising the scale of the discovery.

The property, known as the Brouwershuis, is being renovated by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organisation, to create offices and housing. Brewing on the site began in 1899 and ceased in 1970. Geert Hillaert, director of CAW, said his initial reaction was "surprise and amazement" and expressed hope that the treasure might eventually support the charity's work. Police moved the gold to a secure location and warned the public against visiting the active construction site to search for additional treasure.

Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim the hoard. If no claimant emerges, civil law states that hidden treasure on another's property must be divided between the finder and the property's owner. A local prosecutor has launched an investigation to establish ownership. Police stated on social media that they hoped the discovery would end up in "the right place" and change people's lives.