Five people were hospitalised on Thursday evening following a fire in a residential building in the Peterbos estate, Anderlecht, according to Brussels firefighters.
The emergency services received several calls at around 21:35 about a fire on the first floor of a high-rise tower block. Brussels firefighters immediately dispatched their high-rise response team to the scene.
When the first crew from the Anderlecht station arrived, they found no visible flames, but thick smoke was filling the affected apartment and its corridors. The flat was destroyed, with apparent fire damage visible on its façade.
Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels fire service, stated that the fire had apparently been extinguished for some time.
"How the fire was put out remains unclear. We found the corridor’s fire hose unrolled into the flat, several empty fire extinguishers, and a few small residual blazes," he explained. The flat was being used illegally.
Five people were taken to different hospitals for smoke inhalation. Among them, a young individual claimed to have extinguished the fire themselves. Consequently, no rescues or evacuations by emergency services were required.
After ventilating the smoke and checking carbon monoxide levels, the building was declared safe and handed over to residents around 23:15.
An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire and the details of the extinguishing effort.
