Belgian Construction Worker Who Helped Unearth a Gold Hoard Worth an Estimated €9 Million in East Flanders Is Hoping for a Finder's Fee

That would be nice, Kobe told Flemish broadcaster VRT. Kobe, who is working construction during his summer break, and his colleagues were demolishing an old house in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, Belgium, this week when they made the discovery. The day started normally but became one to remember when workers had to remove part of a foundation in the cellar.

"When we did that, we suddenly saw something lying there, Kobe said. "Our first reaction was actually disbelief, amazement. The teenager initially thought the items were one-euro coins.

"But then we also saw a gold nugget lying there. Then we knew it was something bigger, he explained. The treasure consisted of at least 40 gold bars and 4,000 coins, hidden in a chest that had been bricked into a cellar wall.

Site manager Mario was also astonished when his workers shouted that they had found gold. "I went to look and took the gold in my hands. We kept digging up new coins and bars.

Only then did it really sink in what we had found. That was a crazy feeling, he told VRT. The workers immediately called their boss, who instructed them to contact the client and police.

The house had been home to a brewer since 1900 but is now owned by a welfare organization. Mario, who has worked in construction for 33 years, said he briefly considered keeping the find but realized it would be impossible to hide and would amount to theft. The police have moved the gold to a safe location while investigating its origin and rightful owner.

If the welfare organization CAW Oost-Vlaanderen is confirmed as owner, proceeds will go toward additional shelter places for homeless people in the province. Meanwhile, several treasure hunters have tried to visit the construction site hoping for more gold. Police in Dendermonde warned on Facebook: A golden tip: this really has no use... Know that this is a construction site, fenced off and with various dangerous pits, adding that all the gold has already been removed.