Oostende –
On Saturday afternoon, Mayor Bart Tommelein (Open Vld) decided, in consultation with the local police of Ostend, to close the Western breakwater to the public. “Mainly as a precaution,” the mayor said.
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The decision to close the breakwater was taken around 3.30 pm. “At that time there were no real problems, but we noticed that the people were starting to flock,” says the mayor. “That is why we have taken it safe and I have had the breakwater closed in consultation with the police.” The police arrived on the scene with a few vehicles and had the breakwater cleared. That went pretty smoothly. “There was no problem on the seawall, the influx could be spread well there. The problem with the breakwater was mainly the back and forth traffic. The 1.5 meter distance between the people threatened to no longer be sufficiently preserved. That is why preventive action was taken, ”said the mayor.
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