Belgian Construction Crew Unearths Hidden $10 Million Gold Hoard During Sewer Project

A routine renovation project in Belgium turned extraordinary this week when construction workers uncovered a massive stash of gold—worth more than $10 million—while laying a sewer line beneath a building in Sint‑Gillis‑Dendermonde, a Flemish community about 40 minutes from Brussels.

Eighteen‑year‑old student worker Kobe told local outlet VRT that the team initially thought they had stumbled onto a pile of 1‑Euro coins. That assumption vanished the moment they spotted a gold nugget glinting in the dirt.

“Our first reaction was disbelief,” Kobe said. “Of course, we hadn’t expected to find gold.”

Site manager Mario, who has spent more than three decades in construction, echoed the shock. “After 33 years in construction, it is the first time I have experienced something like this,” he said. “We kept digging up new coins and bars. Only then did it really sink in what we had found.”

The workers had been removing the building’s foundation to install a new sewer pipe when they noticed the trove. As they continued excavating, more coins and ingots surfaced—ultimately amounting to roughly 9 million Euros, or about $10.4 million USD.

Despite the astonishing discovery, the crew was required to surrender the gold to local police. Officers informed them that keeping the treasure was illegal, and Mario agreed that attempting to pocket it would have been both impractical and considered theft.

The hoard is now in the custody of CAW Oost‑Vlaanderen, a regional welfare organization that plans to use the unexpected windfall to support community services. The news has drawn curious onlookers to the site, prompting police to warn would‑be “gold diggers” to stay away. The building is being demolished, and authorities stressed that nothing remains to be found.

The origin of the gold remains a mystery. Historian and former Dendermonde mayor Piet Buyse suggested it may have belonged to the Van Assche brewing family, though no claim has been officially made. Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to come forward. If no one does—and provided the hoard is not linked to criminal activity—the treasure can be divided between the property owner and the finder.

Kobe, for his part, is hopeful that his role in the discovery won’t be forgotten. “Of course, we do hope we’ll get a finder’s fee,” he said. “That would be nice.”