Firefighters in Brussels responded to an apartment fire on Rue de la Belle au Bois Dormant in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean at 04:30 on Saturday.
The private residence is temporarily uninhabitable due to damage and the entire building is without electricity, requiring all residents to be relocated.
“All residents were safe upon our arrival. One person, in shock, was taken to hospital,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Department.
“We encountered a fully developed fire in an apartment on the fifth and top floor. The fire started in a bedroom cluttered with various items, which provided a significant heat load to fuel the blaze,” Derieuw explained.
A cat was found unconscious in the apartment. Despite medical efforts to revive it, the cat did not survive.
“The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Notably, the apartment was not equipped with a smoke detector. The property is completely damaged and inhabitable. Additionally, firefighting water infiltration led to the electricity being cut off throughout the building. The electrical system needs to dry out and be inspected before it can be restored. The Brussels-West police and local services are assisting in relocating the residents."
Firefighters left the scene around 07:15.
