© picture alliance / Zoonar | Werner LEROOY
According to Flemish media reports, several people were killed in a fire at the Oxy building on De Brouckèreplein, in the heart of Brussels, on Tuesday. The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that there were fatalities in the fire. According to the Brussels Fire Department, six people are missing.
The fire first broke out on the second floor of the large building, which is currently undergoing renovation. The fire spread through the elevator shaft to a basement level, where a second, intense fire broke out. After the fire broke out, approximately 200 workers had to be evacuated. Two of them were transported with severe burns to the specialized military hospital in nearby Neder-over-Heembeek.
Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control on Tuesday afternoon, but search-and-rescue teams are still searching elevators and shafts for missing persons. The six missing individuals are workers with whom the employer has been unable to make contact.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The building is part of the OXY project, which is replacing the old Muntcentrum and, once renovated, will house offices, residences, a hotel, and shops.
Picture: © picture alliance / Zoonar | Werner LEROOY