The first message about the camel was spread around noon. The official tweet said the delay 'could take up to 10 minutes' but not longer. The message triggered a lot of inspiration among social media users.

The situation could quickly be resolved: the animal was thought to have escaped from a nearby safari park, it could be read.

"What happened to the camel?" a reader asked. "It was returned to a nearby safari park." (...) "It doesn't always have to be a cow", the NMBS responded. Even climate change popped up: "Is the desert now conquering Belgium already?" a reader asked.