A firefighter died while tackling a large fire at a prison in the province of Liège yesterday. Three of his colleagues were also injured in the fire at Lantin Prison, a minimum security jail which houses male and female prisoners.
The blaze broke out late Thursday afternoon in the central laundry area, located between the detention centre and the prison wing.
It took more than five hours for the fire crew to extinguish the blaze, which was put out at around 22:00 yesterday evening.
Staff and inmates did not need to evacuate the premises. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
Christine Servaes, the mayor of Juprelle, told RTL that "inmates remained calm in their cells, with the windows closed".
She added: "The heat of the flames and the configuration of the site made this intervention very difficult. All the forces of law and order would like to thank the courage of all the firefighters and offer their condolences to the families of the victims.”
'A terrible tragedy'
Servaes activated the local emergency plan around 18:30, which was lifted later that evening.
Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, and State Property Management Minister Vanessa Matz will visit Lantin Prison today. The delegation is expected to arrive at 11:30.
Brussels firefighters expressed their condolences and solidarity following the loss of their colleague. “Our sincerest thoughts are with his family, friends, and all his colleagues who have been affected by this terrible tragedy,” said Walter Derieuw, their spokesperson. “We also extend our support to the injured firefighters and wish them a swift recovery.”
