Several people have died in a major fire that broke out on Tuesday morning in the OXY building on De Brouckère Square in central Brussels. The news was confirmed by the Brussels Labor Prosecutor's Office. The building was undergoing extensive renovation work.
Six workers are still missing. They are people who were known to have been at the construction site at the time of the fire, but with whom authorities have been unable to establish contact.
Two elevator cars were trapped in two separate shafts. Firefighters managed to open a small hole in one of the cars, where several victims were found. The exact number of bodies has not yet been released and authorities could not confirm whether they are the six workers reported missing. The other elevator shaft was not yet accessible to rescue teams.
At the time of the fire, over 200 workers were on the site. Most of them were evacuated. Two people with serious burns were taken to hospital, while a firefighter who felt unwell due to the high temperatures received medical attention at the scene.
According to firefighters, the flames on the first and second floors were brought under control relatively quickly. However, the fire penetrated the elevator shaft and spread to the second underground level, where it reached large proportions. The flames were brought under control around 09:00.
The evacuated workers were temporarily sheltered in the premises of the Brucity administrative center, where they were also offered psychological support.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The Labor Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal investigation to determine the circumstances and possible responsibilities.
