Construction workers renovating a house in Belgium have uncovered gold bars and coins reportedly worth around €9 million (Rs2.89 billion) hidden inside the walls of the property’s cellar, according to the BBC.
The extraordinary discovery was made earlier this week in East Flanders, when builders drilling into the foundations to install new sewage pipes came across the concealed treasure.
The find has now raised a potentially complicated question over who is legally entitled to the fortune, with both the construction workers who discovered it and the local charity that owns the property potentially having claims.
Police have opened an investigation and moved the entire haul to a secure location. Authorities have also warned members of the public not to visit the property in search of additional treasure, saying the building had already been thoroughly searched.
Among those who discovered the gold was 18-year-old summer worker Kobe, who said the builders initially struggled to understand what they had found.
“Our first reaction was actually disbelief, amazement,” he told Belgian broadcaster VRT.
Kobe said he initially mistook some of the objects for ordinary coins before noticing a gold nugget, which made the scale of the discovery apparent.
The workers quickly informed police rather than attempting to keep the treasure.
Site manager Mario said the sheer quantity of coins and bars meant concealing the discovery would have been virtually impossible.
Authorities are now investigating the origin and ownership of the gold, while the question of who will ultimately be entitled to the multimillion-euro hoard remains unresolved.