Construction Workers Dig Up $10 Million Gold Stash During Routine Sewer Work

Construction workers digging a new sewer system in Dendermonde, Belgium, uncovered a stash of gold now estimated to be worth more than $10 million.

Police in Dendermonde, located about 18 miles north of Brussels, said the crew discovered a large quantity of gold while carrying out ground work at the construction site. Photos released by police showed 49 gold bars alongside a bucket containing gold coins.

The treasure is estimated to be worth approximately 9 million euros, equivalent to more than $10 million, according to Belgian broadcaster VRT.

Kobe, an 18-year-old member of the construction crew, said the workers initially struggled to believe what they had found beneath the ground. He said he first assumed some of the objects were ordinary coins before realising the scale of the discovery.

Police secured and inventoried the gold before transferring it to a high-security government vault for safekeeping while the investigation continues.

The East Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office is now investigating the origin of the gold and who holds legal ownership of it. Prosecutor Hanne Ollevier said authorities currently do not know where the gold came from or who it legally belongs to.

Authorities have warned members of the public against visiting the construction site to search for additional treasure, noting that the area contains dangerous excavation pits and that all discovered gold has already been removed.

The property where the gold was found is owned by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a Belgian organisation that provides support services to people in need.

Discoveries of this kind occasionally surface during large-scale excavation and infrastructure works, particularly in parts of Europe with centuries of buried construction history beneath modern development sites.

The investigation into the gold's origin remains ongoing, with authorities yet to determine whether the find will be classified as abandoned property, historical treasure, or evidence tied to a specific prior owner.