Two more victims have been found in the rubble of the warehouse that burnt down in Anderlecht on Saturday – bringing the death toll to four, according to the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The remains of two other victims had already been found several days ago. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, none of the four victims has yet been identified. The cause of the fire also remains unclear.
The fire in the warehouse on Rue Jakob Smits was spotted at around 07:00 on Saturday morning. On arrival, the fire brigade was confronted with a raging fire in a storage facility located in a courtyard, shared by several tenants.
The fire brigade was unable to get inside because the risk of collapse was too great, and therefore mainly extinguished the fire from the rooftops of surrounding buildings using aerial platforms.
These fire-fighting operations took several hours, and it was not until around 13:30 that the first fire crews were able to leave the area.
Extensive search operations
On Saturday, authorities only confirmed that a firefighter had been injured in the fire, but by Sunday, it became clear that the fire had claimed at least two lives.
"Following the fire, four people were reported missing," said the Public Prosecutor's Office. "The first two victims were found quickly. The other two were found following extensive search operations by the emergency services over the past few days."
Various media outlets reported that the two victims found on Saturday were believed to be a father and son, both fishmongers, who had rented part of the warehouse for storage, but the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office stressed that none of the four victims has yet been identified.
The Public Prosecutor's Office emphasised that identifying the victims is particularly difficult due to the complex circumstances of the operation. "Investigations into the cause of the fire are also still ongoing. The cause is not yet clear at this stage."
The Public Prosecutor’s Office also asked that the media exercise the necessary restraint in their reporting out of respect for the victims and their families.
