Builders find €9 million in gold sealed inside Belgian cellar walls
What's next: Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim the hoard before it could be split.
Construction workers renovating a property in Dendermonde, Belgium, uncovered gold bars and coins reportedly worth about €9 million after drilling into cellar walls while laying sewage pipes. Police moved the stash to a high-security federal vault and urged treasure hunters to stay away from the site, saying the house had already been disturbed by would-be searchers. The building belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a local welfare charity. Belgian prosecutors opened an investigation to determine who owns the treasure and whether it is tied to any criminal activity. If no owner comes forward within five years, Belgian civil law could allow the find to be divided between the workers and the property owner.