A powerful explosion brought down several houses in the Belgian capital, killing at least two people and injuring 17, police said today.

It was not clear what caused the blast in Brussels' Schaerbeek district at around 11p.m. yesterday but one theory was that it involved a gas leak, they said.

The force of the explosion brought down three houses and damaged nearby buildings, police said. One of the wounded was in a serious condition.

Natural gas and electricity provider Sibelga said it was too early to confirm if the blast was caused by a leak.

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