Several people have died in a major fire that broke out on Wednesday at a building undergoing renovation in central Brussels, Belgian authorities reported.
Rescue teams located several victims trapped inside an elevator shaft, though emergency personnel have not yet been able to fully access the area due to structurally compromised conditions. The Brussels Labor Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that six construction workers remain officially unaccounted for following the blaze, which is believed to have started as a small fire on the building’s second floor.
“Firefighters managed to find a small opening in one of the elevators and discovered several victims inside,” prosecution spokesperson Brecht Speybrouck told Belgian media. “We still do not know the exact number of casualties. They could be the six missing workers, but there could also be more victims in another elevator or elsewhere in the building.”
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While firefighters have successfully extinguished the flames, the fire rapidly spread upward through the elevator shaft, causing severe structural damage to the property. Two individuals suffering from burn injuries were evacuated to the Military Hospital in Neder-over-Heembeek, and one firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion.
More than 200 workers were inside the building when the fire broke out. The property is currently being remodeled into a multi-use complex designed to house offices, restaurants, a hotel, and luxury apartments. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and the Labor Prosecutor’s Office has launched a formal investigation into the incident.
