After a car caught fire in the Rogier Tunnel in Brussels last night, the occupants – a couple with a baby – managed to escape to safety, according to the Brussels fire service.
The tunnel was closed to traffic for a while as a result of the incident.
"At around 00.15, the Brussels fire service and emergency medical services were called to a vehicle fire in the Rogier Tunnel, heading towards the Basilica," said fire service spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
"A vehicle with a combustion engine was approximately 30 metres from the tunnel exit when a sudden jet of flame shot out of the engine compartment," he said. "The occupants, a couple with their baby, were able to leave the vehicle in time and get themselves to safety."
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They were examined at the scene by the paramedics present. Hospitalisation was not necessary.
"To ensure the safety of the emergency services, the tunnel was additionally physically blocked off using fire service vehicles," Derieuw said.
The police were also called to the scene, and the fire service approached the tunnel from both the Botanique and the Basilica exit. "The fire was tackled using a fire hose fed from the other tunnel tube. A water tanker was on standby as a precaution in case additional water was required.”
After the fire had been extinguished, the fire service cleaned the road surface. Finally, Brussels Mobility carried out an inspection of the tunnel wall and the technical installations before the tunnel was reopened.
