Meadow of flowers to be sown opposite the site of the Turnout flat explosion
A meadow of flowers is to be sown opposite the site of the explosion at a block of flats on the Boeren Krijglaan in Turnhout (Antwerp Province). Four people lost their lives in the explosion on New Year’s Eve. On Whit Monday (6 June) the residents of the Boeren Krijglaan will sow the flowers opposite the place where the block of flats once stood. It will serve as a memorial to those killed in the explosion that caused the building to partially collapse.
Local resident Anne Van Dooren told VRT Radio 2 Antwerp that the meadow will serve as a memorial to all the victims. “We have certainly not forgotten them. All local residents are welcome to come and help.”
The flower meadow will be opposite the building where four people were killed and two others injured after a gas explosion on New Year's Eve.
The Grote and Kleine Nete Regional Landscape Board will provide the seeds that the local residents will sow. Staff from the Board will also be on hand to offer advice. The flowers will include daisies, various kinds of clover and dandelion.
Two large memorial banners will also be placed at the flower meadow. One of them contains words of thanks to the emergency services and features a photograph of the original memorial site. The second features a poem written by Turnhout’s city poet Liesbeth Aerts.
Kassandra Driezen of the Turnhout social housing association De Ark told the VRT that "We are very grateful to the local residents and the Regional Landscape Board for this initiative”. She added that "De Ark will include a permanent memorial in the new building."